Son of-Miriam (Rene-Rachel) and Uri, was born on May 23, 1960 in Haifa. Ari was a friendly, smiling and kind child. He studied at the Be’eri elementary school and continued his studies and graduated from the municipal high school in Neve Sha’anan. He was an outstanding student, and in his three favorite subjects: physics, biology and computers, he received a very good grade. During his spare time, Ari worked in various activities and was a member of the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement. In this service he took part in a course for young instructors and led a youth group. In order to develop his physical fitness, Ari paid for judo and took part in many competitions. Ari was a member of the Civil Guard in his place of residence and was appointed deputy commander of the Jezreeliya neighborhood. For his contribution to the security of the neighborhood and its residents, he received a letter of appreciation from the commander of the Civil Guard in the Haifa area, which reads: “I would like to express my appreciation for the dedication and great energy you invested in your activities in the Civil Guard over such a long period.” Ari also devoted his time and participated in various scientific courses of the Technion for youth. When he was 15 years old, his mother Miriam died. After a while, his father married Rina-Rachel, who was a mother to him. Ari was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in mid-July 1978, and due to his high personal data, he was accepted to an Air Force course, when he learned that he was intended to be a navigator, refused to accept it, retired from the Air Force and joined the Artillery Corps, An officer’s course A short excerpt from his service in the Artillery Corps describes his commander at the time, Col. Shmuel: “Ari served under my command for nearly a year, and I remember him as a responsible officer, devoted, professional and, above all, loved and admired by his subordinates and friends. In the field artillery school, he served as an artillery position officer in the aid battery, where Ari was discovered at full height. His personal sensitivity to the welfare of his soldiers, the solution of their personal affairs with the cooperation of the other battery officers on the one hand, and the high level of responsibility he displayed in the area of operational and professional missions contributed greatly to making the battery one of the most brilliant School of Gunners. ” From compulsory service, Ari moved directly to the career army, and volunteered for the Golani reconnaissance unit as an artillery officer. He successfully passed all the courses required of a commander in this elite unit, and as part of the unit, he also served as the operations officer. When the Peace for Galilee War broke out Ari was among the conquerors of the Beaufort fortress, and continued with the commando unit at the head of the Golani Brigade to Jabel Baruch. His commanders, referring to the form in which he served in the first days of the fighting, noted that “even though this was his first baptism of fire, he served as an artillery co-operative and as an exceptional operations officer.” On June 10, 1982, Lieutenant Ari fell in combat in Lebanon during the Peace for Galilee War, following the attack of Syrian attack helicopters and was brought to rest in the military cemetery in Haifa. Ari was promoted to captain after they fell. He left behind his parents and brother. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the defense minister wrote: “His commanders defined him as motivated and eager to succeed, devoted and meticulous, honest, willing to help any member at any time and on any subject. The commander of his unit noted how Ari fought against the conquest of Beaufort, and wrote that “during the battle Aryeh fought as a Aryeh, while using the cannons with composure, precision and dedication to the mission.” His family published a booklet in his memory entitled “… the dream is over”, which included thingsAnd fragments of memories about different episodes in his short life. In September 1988, a statue was erected in memory of Ari, called “Rakia”. The sculpture was created by the artist Yeshayahu Granot, and was donated by the Haifa Municipality and donated by the Vardi family in Neve Sha’anan.
