Staff Sgt. Eitan Dov Rosenzweig, Ben Alon Shvut in Gush Etzion, fell today (Wednesday). Rosenzweig studied at the Or Torah Neve Shmuel Yeshiva High School, along with two other fallen IDF soldiers: Yehonatan Samo and Eitan Dishon. All of them were killed in battle in the Gaza Strip in the current war, a few days apart. Yair Tavori (21) lives opposite Rosenzweig in Alon Shvut and studied with him in all educational frameworks.
Exciting: The parents of Staff Sergeant Jonathan Samo, who fell in battle, met with the man to whom their son's heart was donated // Moshe Ben Simhon
"Ethan and I have been in every framework of life together, since kindergarten. We were in the same tribe in Bnei Akiva, we were at Orot Etzion elementary school in Efrat and at the yeshiva high school in Neve Shmuel. After that, we were together at the settlement meeting in Yeruham. Eitan enlisted with the rest of the class in Givati and I in the paratroopers. But when we would go back to Shabbat, we would meet," he says. Tabori goes over the WhatsApp group of the cycle, called "Engagement Update, Cycle 34": "Until now they would send an engagement message in this group and everyone would send "Congratulations" in a long line. In recent weeks, it has gone from "Mazel Tov" to "Blessed is the Dayan of Truth." And one wrote, "Halas. Just good news from now on." Three blows one after the other, it hurts."
Yair tells of his friend, who was exceptionally creative: "He was an artist. He loved the creative world. It is not at all appropriate for him to have a weapon in his hand. It doesn't work out. It is clear that he will be in a combat unit and serve with everyone, but on the other hand he is not a man of anger or strength, he is a man of humanity, simplicity, truth. We were in a literature class together and that's where he flourished. We developed a really creative and meaningful group of writers there. He was also an amazing painter. On the other hand, he was a beit midrash guy. He loves Torah, loves G-d, loves the spiritual world. That was part of it. He was just a special person. A humble man even though he was full of talent and art. Now, during the fighting, he never asked for Bamba or cakes or anything, just textbooks. And Hagit, his mother, sent him a picture of the house, a study notebook and a small Talmud. She told me, 'I sent him things he likes.'"
One class, three fallen: Eitan Dov Rosenzweig, Eitan Dishon and Yehonatan Yitzhak Samo z"l, photo: IDF Spokesperson's website
Yair remembers his two other fallen friends, Eitan Dishon, who was always bouncy and smiling, "always checking if everyone is okay, connecting with everyone." Jonathan Samo and Yair were in different groups, so he watched him from afar, "Of course we were friends and we were together in the army, he was the king of the world, very quiet and very humble. He was in a bunch of the coolest guys in the class. At the moment, most of the company is in combat. But somehow, everyone manages to make it to funerals. It was so strange for me to see them all. We're not at an engagement, not at a wedding, why is this unity all of a sudden? After this war, we will all sit down and think together what to do to commemorate them."
Rosh Yeshiva HaSeder Yeruham, Rabbi Chaim Wolfson, where Rosenzweig studied in fourth class: "He was an amazing guy, talented in many things, painting and art and music, and was connected mentally and spiritually to many people. With serious aspirations and a special ability to touch the soul of every person who is close to him." The head of the Ohr Torah Neve Shmuel high school yeshiva from the Ohr Torah Stone network, Rabbi Avishai Willner, whose yeshiva lost a third graduate from the yeshiva within a week, all in one class: "An extremely talented guy in all areas, a knowledge hungry, a kid of a beit midrash, turned to every rabbi and teacher just to get knowledge."
He was very happy with recruitment to Givati and the ability to contribute. Staff Sergeant Eitan Dov Rosenzweig from Alon Shvut, a soldier in the Shaked Battalion from Givati, fell in battle in Gaza, photo: IDF Spokesperson
"He was an artist at the highest level. One of his works was a wonderful three-meter-high art installation in calligraphy. He was an artist and creative, and inexhaustible knowledgeable and studied at all times a broad education in everything, art, history, the Bible, Talmud. He was gentle but very happy with his enlistment to Givati and his ability to contribute, and like everything in his life, he did his combat service in the best possible way."
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