fbpx
Rafaeli, Yuval

Rafaeli, Yuval


Son of Avraham and Nurit. He was born on the 26th of Tishrei, October 10, 1947, in Givat Haim. At the age of five, his family had already discovered his special qualities. He had a technical sense, a sense of perspective and imagination. He loved to paint, and these paintings served as a subject for research in meetings of educators and seminars. Each letter, every word and sentence, revealed new worlds to him. He was in the fields with his teacher, searching for animals, and looking at birdwatchers. He wanted to be a physicist, but when he came to a decision about what profession he would choose, obstacles arose, the patterns that were common in school. When he left school, his parents did not resist it, for they were sure of his ability, his will to reach the goal he set for himself. Before his induction, it was a year of fruitful work, a year full of content and happiness, when he was independent, and free from the chains of the school, and responsible for the work he would do, with extraordinary perfection, for a young man. He became a mature and serious matriculation examiner in mathematics. In November 1967, he was drafted into the IDF, where he was strengthened both in spirit and in body. He joined the paratroopers, and became a model soldier. He was loved by his commanders and friends. He fell in battle on the 4th of Tammuz, June 30, 1968, when he encountered a squad of saboteurs, in the Jordan Valley, near the Damia Bridge. “The unit commander, in his letter of condolence to his parents wrote, among other things: “Yuval was one of the most beloved soldiers in his department, devoted and loyal to his position, independent of his thoughts and behavior. He had his own opinion, and did not always identify with the general opinion. But he had the respect of a soldier, and carried out everything that was imposed on him, without fault. He was among the first soldiers to be selected for each operation, because he gave his commanders the feeling that there was someone to trust. He was unusually physically fit, and had a tough appearance at times, but at the same time, he had a sensitive and gentle soul. “A year later, a book appeared, in his memory, in Givat Hayim Ihud.

Skip to content