Shukron, Roy
Ben Nira and Yoel. Born on November 6, 1976 in Netanya, son and eldest grandson of his family. A few years later his brother Matan was born. “Matan joined the family and you lost all your attention,” his mother says, “but you kept your place in the family, sometimes you fought, but you were friends.” And after a short time, her daughter Michal was born: “When you were almost six, Michal joined you, your little sister, and you, the older brother, were so excited that you cried with joy. Roi’s first five years were spent in Netanya and the family moved to Pardes Hannah. Roi attended the Yeshurun elementary school and when he was ten years old the family moved to the Ramot neighborhood in Jerusalem and Roi joined the Ramot Bet religious school. He was a diligent and industrious student, who received an outstanding student certificate. In addition to his studies, Roy was a member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, a regular trainee who participated in every trip and in every camp. When Roy went to ninth grade, the family went to Boston for a year in the United States. At first he had many difficulties, but Roi fought without giving up, learned English well and in time became well integrated, both in studies and in society. From an early age Roy liked to read books of all styles. “Our house was very close to the library,” his mother says, “and almost every day you visited it, and by the time you got home, you finished reading the book.” Now that he was learning English, Roy also read many books in English. When the family returned to Israel, Roy began to study at the Himmelfarb High School in Jerusalem, on a long school day in the form of a beit midrash. “I complained at a parents’ meeting that you did not invest in homework, and your teacher Yirmi proved that you are also getting high marks …” During high school, Roy began volunteering at Magen David Adom in Jerusalem. Soon he was “infected with the MDA bug”. The station became his second home and he spent most of his nights volunteering there until he joined the IDF. In March 1995, Roy enlisted in the IDF and was appointed as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade, but was sent to the company and was sent to a paramedics course. In June 1997, Roi completed a course for paramedics as an outstanding trainee, and was assigned as a medic in a company in Lebanon. On the 28th of Av 5757 (28.8.1997) Roy fell in battle in the eastern sector of the security zone in southern Lebanon. Two days earlier, he had gone out with his friends to the activity, and the group of fighters had spent forty hours ambushed Wadi Saluki in southern Lebanon. On Thursday morning they encountered a squad of terrorists. In the battle that developed, the fighters succeeded in killing several terrorists, but in the fire that broke out in the field of thorns in which five of the fighters were killed, among them Roi. Staff Sergeant Oren Zarif, Staff Sergeant Oshri Schwartz, Sergeant Keshon Shamato and Sergeant Yadag Shimon. At the age of twenty-one Roi had fallen. After his death he was promoted to the rank of St.-Sgt. Roy was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, leaving behind his parents, brother and sister.
