Yifrach, Tal

Tal, son of Aviva and Shalom Yifrach, was born in 1993 in Tel Aviv. Although he never invested much in his studies, Tal was an outstanding student, an intelligent person and a conversationalist who knew how to express himself clearly. Tal trained to be accepted into the elite “Egoz” unit of the Golani Brigade. His friends told his family during the shiva that he was the best shooter of the Golani Brigade and the sniper of the Egoz unit, information that he kept secret. In May 2014, the unit moved to Kerem Shalom, but as the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip to Israel increased, Tal’s team moved to Tzochar and began training for entry into Gaza. Following the rocket fire, Israel launched Operation Tzuk Eitan against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A few minutes before entering Gaza, Tal turned off his phone. He was not afraid, he always reassured his family that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about. His friends said that before the entrance to Gaza the tension was evident in the air, and despite the situation Tal began to dance them and instill joy in them. He was always Simcha, carefree, his Lev full of love and peace. Tal and his teammates managed to accomplish their important mission, but in the morning, Tal fell in the terrible battle of Sejaya. First Sergeant Tal Yifrach fell in combat during Operation Tzuk Eitan on 23 Tamuz, 21 July 2014. He was twenty-one when he fell. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Rishon Letzion. Survived by his parents, sister Noy, and two half brothers, Daniel and Michael. On his tombstone, the family engraved the verse: “Behold, as a lamb for Israel, it shall blossom like a thorn, and its leaves shall be like the banks of the land.” (Hosea 14:6) A Torah scroll in memory of Tal was donated to the Mishkenot Yisrael synagogue in Rishon Letzion.