Levi, Rafael (Rafi)

Son of Susan and Abraham. He was born on January 4, 1961 in Ramle, in Assaf Harofeh Hospital. He is the eldest brother of four brothers: Michael, Hafie (Heftziba), Orly and Hagit. Raphi grew up in a warm and loving family. In his early childhood, the family lived with the grandfather, in an old neighborhood in the heart of Ramle, known as the Ghetto. Already then Rafi had learned the Moroccan Arabic language and the customs of the community. He knew how to make a joke of the news announcers. At the age of four, the Levy family moved to Avraham Hillel Street in the city. The kindergarten was very close to his home, and every time he was fed up with kindergarten, he would climb the garden fence and slip out of the window. His brother Michael had learned the method. Over the years, the two grew up together, with friends in common. Rafi was educated in Ramle and loved her. In the elementary school “Ben Zvi” he was a diligent and outstanding student, who liked to read books already on the way from the library home. But in high school he worked as a “king of toil,” as students at the time called him and were afraid to approach. At the end of 11th grade, he decided to move to the “Ron” secondary school in Tel Aviv, but despite the gap of three years he managed to complete his studies and finish with an almost complete matriculation certificate. As a youth, he participated in leisure activities of the Scouts movement and played soccer with the neighborhood children on the lawn behind the residential building. The game became an integral part of his life, both as an amateur player and as a fan of Hapoel Ramla. He was a Beitar Jerusalem supporter, and on August 5, 1979, he enlisted in compulsory military engineering, and Rafi was an excellent soldier and a soldier. (Company commander). His parents were very concerned about him and were disappointed when he did not come to sit, but he himself never complained even after three weeks outside the house because he thought it was obvious that the country should be protected. When he was about to be released, the “Peace for the Galilee” war broke out and his service was extended by three months. Raphi lost many friends in the war and himself was saved from death more than once. After his release he worked as a security guard. In reserve service in 1983, he was appointed to the rank of 1st Platoon of the Engineering Corps, then an exemplary soldier, a brave soldier with excellent judgment, a commander who led the soldiers on many missions during the nineteen years of reserve duty, and became “the father of the company “In the reserve company he held various positions, from platoon to platoon, organized the company and also dealt with the problems of soldiers who were not connected to military service, and one of the soldiers, who did not want to join the reserves and was liable to a prison sentence, was reprimanded by Rafi, The reservists tell us about the atmosphere that prevailed in the company: action in the field and the base itself, card games, laughter, songs On the nights of the tour, they competed with those who knew more than the sketches of “Hagashash” and “This is it.” With some of them, Rafi held heart-to-heart talks during hours of joint guard. , Complained about the cigarettes that killed him and returned to the IDF jeep with a winning smile. Stubbornness was one of his strengths. You could talk to him about everything, from the small to the big, from the simple to the philosophical. His ability to talk to anyone allowed him to reach all the people in the company. In his nobility he knew how to carry out his duties and to instruct the execution of the tasks without discounts and without harming anyone. His men appreciated him for it. Sometimes they heard him arguing with the company commander out of concern for the soldiers. In the intifada he served in Nablus. Raphi was a fair and humane man. Showed authority and respect for the Arabs, the local inhabitants, And acquired their honor: when he was in the car they did not throw stones at him. From childhood he was very intelligent and at home he was considered the wisest of the brothers. As the eldest son and brother of Michael, Hagit, Orly and Hofi (Heftziba), Rafi was dominant in the family. His sense of humor hung around the table on Friday nights and holidays – he was the family’s dean. Was a revered brother, a role model and friend who could be approached with every problem, his ear listening, his hand reaching for help. His love for the army affected all his family, giving him a sense of security, as if he were keeping everyone in every situation.In 1996, Rafi began his career in the army, He worked in a pharmaceutical factory in Bat Yam on July 1, 1997. A new light shone in his eyes, and the connection between him and Nili filled him in. His sisters described him as in love when he was 16. “We saw the whole Rafi, “He came to the inheritance, found the woman he had wanted all his life, and since then he has flourished in every field.” Rafi referred to Nili’s son, Shahar, as his own child, loved him very much and was Shahar says: “Even now I feel that he is with me, I know what he is answering to me and he advises me. Every time we went on a trip with him, we knew that with him there was nothing to be afraid of, never getting lost. “The family went on many trips together, all the way telling jokes and making fun of jokes, singing and playing with Rafi as one of the children. The pharmaceuticals in Bat Yam were quick: processed in the tablet department for the department manager within two years, prior to the management of the production inspection department. At his request, the company sent him to study industrial engineering and management. “His desire to learn, and the warm recommendations he received, convinced me that he is a person who invests in his work and that he has the ability and desire to promote himself and the company in which he works,” says the company’s CEO. “I have nothing to worry about, which allowed me to invest more in other departments.” Production manager Shimon Ibzu: “Rafi was a modest man, he did not like to stand out – not dressed or demonstrating his knowledge of meetings – even though he had a great deal of knowledge He wanted to show superiority in front of other people in the system, but he did not. “Rafi was wise, thorough to the smallest details and had vast knowledge in various fields Aryeh, one of the managers in the company, talks about Rafi’s strong desire to succeed and his willingness to invest and develop: “He Was discovered to have a rapid perception, both technically and theoretically. In order to take advantage of Rafi’s skills, it was decided to integrate him into efficiency teams established in other departments … When it was necessary to improve the production process of a particular product, I saw how Rafi’s eyes gleamed with enthusiasm … how his open head works and how he quickly perceives the processes … “His decisions were based both on the data he collected on his experience and on the knowledge he accumulated, combined with his healthy logic, and his methodical approach to assimilating the process of computerization. As an enthusiastic fan, he watched the games on the fields or at home through television, with the same amount of emotion and involvement. For two weeks he coordinated the planning and organization of a soccer game in the company – marketing versus operations and manufacturing – and then issued a summary letter describing in his witty style theThe entire course of the game in detail and interpreted the game professionally. At the event he played like everyone else, in the words of Yonatan Bar: “Rafi always did things behind the scenes without making any publicity for himself.” During the working days and in the evenings Rafi studied for an industrial and management engineering degree at the Afik College in Rishon Letzion. He invested all his studies, and even if at the beginning he felt insecure because it had been a long time since he was a student, he soon showed great knowledge and understanding from the young students. He reached the highest grades in the class, and when he spoke there was silence in the classroom and the teacher gave him the full attention. It was important for the students to hear what he had in mind. Sometimes they would ask him at the end of the class to explain what was not clear. At the end of February 2002, during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, Rafi volunteered for the last reserve duty in Samaria. His brother, Michael, arrived at the company with his replacement: “Rafi enjoyed his reserve service and understood its importance. “As always, he traveled with Yoni Oshri, they were stationed at the checkpoint north of Ofra, on the way to Nablus, and the two slept side by side, ate together, friends from basic training who became close to their brothers. On the morning of the morning of March 3, 2002, a terrorist opened fire at the checkpoint at the British police junction, killing ten people Rafi and his soldiers from the second platoon were summoned to the scene, and Rafi did not wear the vest. There was silence all around, and Raphi ordered: “I’m just leaving.” Yoni said: “I stopped and Raphi opened the door, stepped on his weapon, and said,” I’m going out. ” And as soon as he put his feet on the ground he fell … he did not think of himself at that moment and that was what came to him in his life. “He wanted to help the wounded, but the terrorist was still there, hiding on the hill above the checkpoint, The carbine was blown up and the terrorist fled to the Palestinian Authority. Raphi was the last to be hit by the shots. Two and a half years later, the terrorist was apprehended and sentenced to eleven life terms. Capt. Ariel Hovav, Lt. David Damlin, Lt. Col. Eran Gad, Lt. Col. Kfir Weiss, Lt. Col. Avraham Ezra, Major Yochai Porat, and the citizens – Sergey Turub, Vadim Balagula and Yitzhak Didi. Four other people were injured in the incident. He was forty-one years old when Raphael (Rafi) Levi died during an operational activity. He was laid to rest in the Ramle military cemetery. Survived by his wife, parents, brother and three sisters. He was promoted to Major General after his death. The personal inscription on his tombstone reads: “Rafi, you will be in our hearts until the day when he stops beating.” The Diploma in Industrial Engineering and Management was awarded the day after his fall. Nili, his wife, said: “At home, Rafi was a stable and strong anchor … He encouraged me to believe in my abilities and develop them, and nurtured my faith in myself as a person … Rafi knew how to please and he wanted the people around him to be happy, I was such a world for him. ” The attack caused a major crisis in the reserve company, and an entire platoon was almost wiped out. The commander of the company, Moshe Greenberg, said, “Rafi was not only one of the veterans of the company, but he was also one of its founders, and he insisted on performing operational duties. He eulogized Rafi: “You were attached to the company and the company was attached to you … You fell in battle as a fighter when you got off the patrol vehicle to help your friends who were hurt. My life”On the day of the attack, the pharmaceutical factory stopped and did not continue to work,” said Honel, a reserve soldier, in a memorial ceremony for the six killed in the attack: “… We, your soldiers, were proud that you were Rafi our commander, both in the army and later in the house. Rafi was a talented team member, always willing to help, and he was always a good friend of the team. The company’s employees, both in production and management, approached him for consultation and assistance because he knew how to look at the problem from all directions With the best solutions. He was the link between production and other departments and management. Anniversary of his death Nili film produced in memory of Rafi and is immortalized in the film produced by the unit Hflhh”n memory of the six fallen who died in the attack.