Shmueli, Yiftach-Yosef

The son of Eternity and Judah. Born on the 24th of Av 5768 (24.8.1968) in Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, Yiftach, a bearded son of his parents, was a lively and inquisitive child who wanted to know and understand everything, and the thirst for knowledge accompanied him to his last day, He continued his studies in the junior high school and in the humanistic direction of the high school in the Sulam Tzur regional school, where he was very charismatic, sociable and humorous, and from an early age he discovered leadership qualities and had a great influence on his friends. He was an athlete, played basketball and participated in regional league games, and above all stood out his great love for the sea and for marine sports Yiftach participated in sailing and diving, took courses in sailboat sailing in the framework of the Hapoel Association, and at the end of his high school studies in Greece, Yiftach was keen on diving and spent every time diving. Prior to joining the IDF, he embarked on a diving expedition on the shores of Sinai, from Dahab to Ras Muhammad. In addition to his athletic activities, he was active in the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement. He postponed his enlistment a year and went on a year of service, during which he guided youth in Netanya as part of the Working and Studying Youth. He organized schoolchildren and operated a movement’s branch, which had been inactive for several years. Yiftach showed great affection for the children and before his enlistment chose to work in a kibbutz in the kindergarten and enjoyed his work very much. In October 1987, Yiftach began his military career in a pilot course from Nesher after four months, volunteering for the Shaldag reconnaissance unit, and after receiving basic training with the parachutists, who were a year younger than him. On June 30, 1988, during a last parachute jump during a parachute course, Yiftach fell in the line of duty, and was brought to eternal rest in the military section of the cemetery in Kibbutz Rosh He left behind his parents, brother Benjamin and sister Smadar, and his parents commemorated him in a book they published.