Steinberg, Irit
Daughter of Rivka and David. Born on September 13, 1967 in Petach Tikvah, Irit, the eldest daughter of her parents, grew up in a warm and loving family, attended elementary school and the son of Tzvi Middle School in Petach Tikvah. She was active in the scout movement and underwent a course for madatzim. Irit found great talent in the various sports fields – she played basketball, handball and volleyball in the Maccabi Petah Tikva team and even won the “Outstanding Actress” trophy. When she was fourteen, her father was killed in a road accident and Irit became the mainstay of the family and supported her mother and her two brothers. During this period she wrote a book of poems, dedicated to her father’s memory, and was published after her death. She studied literature at the Ahad Ha’am high school in Petah Tikva and excelled in her studies, especially in literature. In addition to her studies she helped exceptional students with learning difficulties in the fields of study and social studies. At the end of March 1986, she was drafted to the IDF and in April graduated with honors from the Department of Mathematics at the Wingate Institute. She served at the Air Force base in Mitzpeh Ramon. Irit was a perfectionist, excelled in her performance and demanded excellence from her commanders. She also showed prominent activity in the social field and organized a formative evening at the base. On the 15th of Adar 5737 (March 15, 1987) she fell during her service in a road accident. She was brought to rest in the Segula military cemetery. Survived by her mother and two brothers – Shaul and Moshe. The family immortalized her memory in a memorial monument at the “Hosen” base where she served, where she also wrote books on training systems and sports lessons in various branches, and in the library that was named after her. In addition, a group called Maccabi Irish Petah Tikva is named after them. Members of the group wear sports uniforms with the name of Irit. In addition, each year a basketball tournament is held on a traveling trophy that commemorates its name. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, her commanding officer wrote: “Irit has been with us for a long time, her voice, her laughter, her very dominant and beloved image are deeply rooted in us – she loved the army, worked a lot, invested time and thought, wanted everything to be perfect and good. Here, every shelf and book touches and belongs to her. “
