Reuven, Son of Suzy and Zvi, was born on the 15th of Adar 5714 (March 15, 1954) in Nesher near Haifa. He studied for two years at Yehoshua Elementary School in Nesher, spent six years at the Kishon Elementary School in Haifa, and then continued his high school studies in the Bialik High School in Haifa. In the summer of 1972, he passed the matriculation exams. Reuven was his eldest son and his parents, a loving brother to Meron, who was born two years later. He spent his childhood in Nesher, near Haifa. At school he was a good student and loved by his classmates. Sometimes he liked to play around and gained a reputation for his sense of humor. From his youth he aspired to attend the military boarding school, and indeed, after completing his elementary studies, he was accepted to a boarding school near the “Reali” school in Haifa. “His dream was to continue later in life combined with the regular army, but after he was left at the end of his first year of studies, he faced the problem of continuing,” his mother said. True, it was difficult for Reuven to believe that his dream would be shattered quickly, but he could not easily adapt to the strict lifestyle of the boarding school. He was naturally a freedom and independence seeker, a cheerful, playful boy. He soon became absorbed in the “Bialik” Gymnasium, and liked the teachers and the students. “His achievements in his studies were not impressive,” his father said. “Reuven was not a prodigy, but everyone attests that if he were to devote more energy to his studies, his achievements would be quite high.” The director of the Gymnasium shared this view: “Although Reuven did not receive much praise from his teachers for his achievements, when he spoke with sympathy, he was not like Reuven.” He said that Reuven was a clear, active and kind “sabra”. He had a solid build, an excellent athlete, a good and dedicated friend. “Reuven stood out in the schoolyard, and in the early hours of the morning he was in the yard, practicing … He was not talkative, not much to talk, but a bunch of boys did not organize without him.” Indeed, according to his acquaintances, he was an avid sportsman. He was not satisfied with sitting on a bench in the gallery, but was active and tried his strength mainly in ball games. He hit the basket, kicked the ball, ran a little, and later joined Hapoel in Haifa. In honor of the graduating class at the Gymnasium, Reuven composed “Ballad for the Teachers”, flavored with fine humor, wit and great love. In one poem, “Bakeh,” he asks his dear friend: “When the flower blooms in the garden, and a bird gives one of the cherries you cherish … But this is in his Lev …” Reuven was drafted into the IDF in August 1972 and volunteered for the Armored Corps. Reuven expressed his love for this corps, and saw it as the spearhead of the IDF, the soldiers of the armored corps were its idols, and the life of the armor was the drug of life for him. After basic training, he completed a tank training course and graduated with a high grade (86). He served as a tank gunner and received encouragement and appreciation from commanders and soldiers. Never complained a lot. His smile and the mischievous look in his eyes did not leave even in moments of tension and fatigue. In times of crisis he always tried to hide himself, so as not to bother his friends. Reuven missed his family and often wrote to his parents, and when he came home for a short vacation, he always wanted to be told what had happened at home in his absence. After being given the “Operational Service Mark”, he was sent on the recommendation of his commanders to the Tank Commanders Course. Despite difficult moments of crisis, he managed to achieve good results in the course. At the end of September 1973, he and his friends immigrated to the “Education Series” in central Israel, which was supposed to mark the end of the course. The studies stopped because of the declared state of alert. Before ReuSon of returned to the base, he called his parents and said, “Hold my fingers, there will be war.” With his armored unit Reuven was sent to the southern front and fought there as a tank gunner. Yaron told his comrades: “At midnight we received the order to move, to move to the banks of the canal, and several times our tank was hit, but we continued to move.I saw before me a huge, huge flame. I was raised with tremendous force and fell onto the turret floor. The tank continued to move. I saw ReuSon of creeping toward me from his cell. He put his hand on my neck. I shook my head lightly so that he would understand that I was alive. When I was taken down on a stretcher, a blaze of fire opened from the west. The other tanks moved away. We were left alone. Reuven treated me and called for help. And then-shrapnel hit his neck. After hours of waiting, we were taken to the IAA. ” There, in Battalion Commander, in the Lev of the desolate wilderness, far from his loved ones, Reuven died of his wounds on the 7th of Tishrei 5734 (October 7, 1973.) He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Haifa, Who successfully completed a tank commander course and was raised to the rank of sergeant.RuSon of’s parents donated a Torah scroll in memory of their fourteenth son to the Heichal Shmuel Synagogue in Neve Yosef; Members of the Shosha family, friends of Reuven and his acquaintances, published a memorial booklet, which included a discussion of his character and his path
