Thousands of people arrived Thursday at the HaMesila cemetery in Emek Hefer to accompany Capt. Assaf Mester, 22, from Kibbutz Bachan, an engineering officer who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip yesterday. Before the funeral began, hundreds of people stood by the roadside with Israeli flags. Master is the great-grandson of Shmuel Gogol, harmonica artist, a Holocaust survivor from Korczak's orphanage. He is survived by his parents, brother and sister. His 19-year-old brother Roy is supposed to enlist in the Armored Corps in two weeks.
Master's grandmother, Shoshana, said goodbye to her grandson: "Asfi, my beloved grandson. How can I say goodbye? I don't catch. A little boy who became a cute maiden. I was the best grandmother. Just two days ago I received a picture that you are equipped and showed everyone. A few days ago I wrote to you that you will come back and celebrate a birthday as you deserve. I wrote to you that I wanted to hug you, but that won't happen anymore. I love you so much."
The funeral of IDF officer Assaf Mester who fell in Gaza, photo: uncredited
Grandparents Danny and Shosh: "On his birthday he called and I asked him how he was doing. He said everything was good. Where do you find the strength to say goodbye to a grandchild? What world do we live in? In a civilized world, grandparents don't suffer a grandchild. We were very pleased with our grandson Assaf. We are broken and crushed. We had the privilege of being your grandparents. We will go on with life, but the price is hard. Rest in peace, our beloved grandson."
His teammates eulogized him: "Assaf, I can't believe you're not with us. You had a smile that wasn't erased from your face. I knew we would be friends for life. From the first second, I knew I was privileged to be on the team with you. You were our bright spot and made us a cohesive team. Assaf Thank you for being a significant part of our lives. You are a hero and you protected us."
A member of the Commune of a Year of Service also eulogized: "Assaf, all the words in the world will not be able to describe you. You were to the trainees an authority figure and a friend. You managed to throat every person you knew to feel that way. Assaf you were the glue of the commune. You were always optimistic, making everyone laugh and making everyone smile. If you knew I would cry over your grave, you would laugh at me. Now I cry, but whenever I think of you, I am your brother. Yesterday we had a huge hole in our hearts. We love you and miss you already."
Kibbutz representative: "The community of Chen is saddened by Assaf's death. We find it hard to believe that Assaf was taken from us. Assaf was a child of nature, an outstanding athlete and an instructor in the kibbutz movement. He attracted children and adults alike. We stand here shocked that we haven't been able to protect you. We salute you, members of the Chen community."
Aunt Karen: "On Friday I sat down to write you a letter that I don't know if I had time to read. I promised you that we would celebrate a birthday and many hugs, things that I would no longer keep. There is a huge hole in my heart right now that I hope will heal. Love you forever."
Aunt Michal: "Our Espy, the baby with the mischievous smile who has become a devastating man. The heart refuses to believe that we are saying goodbye to You. For us, you will always be our revered nephew and cousin, a role model for everyone. You will be etched in our hearts forever. We love you so much and refuse to digest the bitter news."
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