Tamana, Elena (Ilan)

Ben Dajitno and McConnet. He was born on January 1, 1973, in Ethiopia. A shy and quiet boy who liked his surroundings, an eighth of ten brothers and sisters. Elena studied and worked in agriculture and in the winter of 1991 immigrated to Israel with his family. When they arrived in Israel, the family was accepted to the absorption center in Ashkelon and Elena received an Israeli name – Ilan. He began studying Hebrew at the Ashkelon Youth Center and after a year went to study at the Orot Hanegev boarding school in Netivot, where he continued his Hebrew studies and received professional training. He worked in carpentry and at one point began working as a factory worker. At the beginning of November 1995, Ilan enlisted in the IDF, where he studied at the “Magen Zion” Hebrew school in Karmiel, where he was sent to the Sde Teiman base, where he served as a quartermaster. He was well absorbed in the base and acquired new friends and was remembered as a good and smiling soldier who performed his tasks in the best possible way: Ilan had many dreams about his future: he planned to learn to drive, to get out of the army, to find work and build his life. (March 25, 1997) Ilan fell during his service, was twenty-four years old when he fell, was brought to eternal rest in the military cemetery in Ashkelon, and left his parents, two brothers, “Ilan was described by his commanders as a disciplined soldier who did his best. Ilan stood out with his smile and a special sense of humor, quickly integrated into the unit, and was admired and accepted by his commanders and friends alike. ” The commander of the unit wrote to the family: “Your dear son, Ilan, will always be remembered as a devoted, sociable, smiling and developed soldier … Ilan grew up, grew and flourished in our unit and was one of the soldiers.