Meguri-Cohen, Zion

Zion, son of Naomi and Yeshayahu (Yaish), was born in 1948 in Shibam-Kokan in Yemen and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1949. He studied at the Chabad elementary school in Kfar Saba, continued his studies at the Merom Zion High School Yeshiva in Jerusalem and at the “HaNegev High” yeshiva in Netivot, and later studied at the Negev University in Be’er Sheva in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. Zion was an outstanding and diligent student and was awarded prizes for his diligence and perseverance. He was kind to his teachers and loved by his friends. The head of the Metivta said, he was a prodigy, a great scholar, and a righteous thinker. After two years of study at the Negev Yeshiva, he joined the hesder yeshiva of Yeshivat HaDarom, where he spent four years as a teacher at the Independent Education School in Netivot. The supervisors and his fellow teachers praised him very much for his diligence and his students admired him very much as well. Zion was drafted into the IDF at the end of July 1968 and assigned to the paratroop brigade. After that he was converted to the Armored Corps. After completing basic training, he took part in a paratroop training course, and after being transferred to the Armored Corps, he took a course in the “Centurion” tank. He was a good soldier, responsible and dedicated to his job. His commanders liked him and he was an example of his friends in his good temper, his passivity and his obedience. During the period of his service he tried not to worry his parents, and in the letters he wrote home he told us nothing about his experiences in the army and the difficult and arduous training, so as not to upset his parents. After he was released from regular service, Zion returned and taught at the Netivot school. He left behind a number of Torah novellae on the Talmud, a few summaries of Halachic matters, and articles on religious thought and tradition. He directed his steps according to the Torah, and in every difficult matter he consulted the great Torah scholars. He was a ben Torah who embodied the love of Israel and the love of man. He was lenient and forgiving, he never took care of anyone else and he could respect his feelings. He was kind to everyone. There was a love of kindness and great modesty. He gave a great deal in secret, and warned and condemned all who knew not to publish it. The people who helped them did not even recognize him by name, but in the name he chose from time to time – so that the matter would not be revealed. After his fall, we learned that he had set up a private charity fund. He arranged to send widows with children money for holidays, to register children from destroyed families in various educational institutions and to keep them there. When a person urgently needed large amounts of money for healing, and so forth, he would collect the money from door to door. He had a lot of affection for the children, and every Saturday he used to make a party for the neighbors’ children to make them taste the Sabbath. He distributed sweets to them, sang songs with them, entertained them and taught them the weekly Torah portion. By nature, he was very active, vigorous and lively. He was happy and cheerful and had a fine sense of humor. He was a person who was more comfortable with people, kind and admired by all. He loved his family and helped them a lot in there livelihood. He was always a loyal son and devoted to his parents and respected them greatly. During the Yom Kippur War, Zion participated in the battle against the Syrians in the Golan Heights. On the 11th of Tishrei 5740 (October 7, 1973), Zion fell in battle. He was brought to eternal rest in the Mount of Olives cemetery. Survived by a father, mother and eight brothers. After his fall, he was promoted to corporal. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Zion was an outstanding tank crew member and was loved by his friends.” In Netivot, they established the Sha’arei Zion Synagogue in memory of him, and his parents donated a Torah scroll to his memory.