Talia, Dan (Smile)

Son of Jeanette and Paul, was born on December 1, 1964, in Strasbourg, France. His mother, a Jew from Algeria, emigrated to France and married a Protestant there. The mixed couple maintained a Jewish tradition mainly, while adhering to the love of the Bible, their children were called biblical names, and they were raised on the values ​​of love of man, family, freedom and space. Seeking to fulfill their ideals, they moved from France to Africa, established a school, and with the help of local leaders built an educational institution that attracted many students. Dan was two years old when he moved with his parents to Africa, where his brother and sister were born. For 11 years they lived in the jungle, and when the Zaire government was shaken, the family returned to France, to a remote town in the south. They returned to educational work and turned a neglected agricultural farm into a fun place to live. Dan did not adapt to the way he studied in France, and at the recommendation of the Jewish community he was sent to study in a Hebrew school in Israel. In 1980 Dan immigrated to Israel and was accepted as a student at the educational institution of the Youth Aliyah Department in Jerusalem. In this institution he successfully completed his high school studies, in a humanistic direction. In February 1984, Dan joined the IDF and served in the Golani Brigade, where he completed his knowledge of Hebrew in a special course. As a lone soldier in Israel, Dan received a residence in a hostel of the Technion in Haifa. On September 24, 1984, Dan participated in a brigade exercise in the Samaria area. A helicopter transporting a unit of soldiers from position to position crashed, and five soldiers were killed. Among them was Dan. At the request of the family, he was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He was 20 years old when he died. He left behind his parents, brother and sister. The commander of his unit wrote in a letter of condolence to his family: “Your son, Dan, stood out in his company for his high adaptability, his strong motivation, and despite the hardships he had as a lone soldier, he excelled and was loved by all of us.” His name was immortalized in the library, at the school where he studied, at the Youth Aliyah Institute. Trees were planted on Mount Herzl and in the forest of the defenders