Shelo, Itai

Son of Shlomit and Eliezer. He was born on the 18th of Shevat 5733 (21.1.1973) in Afula, the eldest son of his parents, also born in the country. He spent his early childhood in Haifa. Itai attended the Beit Ze’ev Elementary School in Afula and at the same time was a student of a gifted children’s class in Kfar Tavor. He continued his high school studies at Ben-Gurion High School, where he was a handsome and developed child, who loved to read plays, poems and science fiction books in Hebrew and English, but most of all he admired Tolkien’s fiction and especially his book The Hobbit. He was a fan of animals, especially dogs, and was also fond of motorcycles, but much of his energy and leisure time Was devoted to sports and physical fitness C. McCarty and reached the rank of ‘brown belt. He was also one of the members of the Karate Club Afula. Fitness was important to him, in part because of his desire to reach an elite IDF unit service. For this purpose, he also practiced shooting with various weapons and was a good shooter. In the family he was sensitive and supportive. Prior to his induction, he worked with me in modeling. Itai was recruited to serve in the IDF in March 1992 and was assigned to serve in the Golani Brigade, where he began basic training, and fell in the course of his duties on May 8, 1992 in a road accident at the Glilot junction. He was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Afula. He left two parents and two brothers – Amir and Uri. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the commander of his unit wrote that Itai wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a fighter in the Sayeret, and for being outstanding in his physical strength, his willingness to help his comrades, and the leadership ability that lay within him. The commander describes Itai as a soldier who is very popular with his friends, who acted out of a sense of mission. Every year a karate tournament named after him is held in his memory.