On the morning of October 7, even before the images of horror began to paint the scale of the massacre, he stood in the room quietly and composed.
Into a bag, which lay ready under the bed or on the top shelf of the closet, he absentmindedly shoved uniforms, underwear, socks and luggage, and announced: "I'm going."
The reservists of the Jerusalem Brigade are fighting in Gaza
Avi Cohen
In all kinds of houses, in all kinds of settlements, this situation looked the same, and a little different.
In front of the crying eyes of his wife and children, or trying to escape from a mother's embrace, a reservist - young or old, married or single, self-employed or employed - stood up and with a somewhat trembling heart explained: "I am going to fight for the country, for you, so that we can live here."
It happened in my house, as it happened at that very moment in hundreds of thousands of other houses, from Metula to Eilat.
If reserves were up to that time there was a code for preparation or a tour or an annual meeting with the guys - this time, for the first time, it was a real alarm.
Standing up for all those values that until now we read about in the books of the homeland - the second war of independence, commies with the people in their country - and for this moment everyone left their home, their work, their children, their family members.
Reservists in the convention area, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The reservist didn't choose a country over his loved ones, he chose a country for them - and he also whispered this on the phone at all the breaking moments somewhere on the battlefield, he asked in front of them again and said: "This is for you."
Despite the state's attempts to provide generous compensation to all families and servants since October 7, the question of price was not really an obstacle for those who went to battle.
Without counting the losses for a moment - they gave up careers, studies, achievements, and went to fight in Gaza or to defend the northern border.
Not because they had nothing to lose - and many more will be told about the cost to the families, about the child who returned to wet the bed, about the prosperous business that lost tens of thousands, and about the sleepless nights of his parents who grew older in three months as in a decade - but because when they looked at the threats around them and the future of the nation and the state, they sought to ensure the peace of the people.
This choice was not only of 295 thousand individuals, but of families, parents, wives, siblings and children who supported from home.
And that there weren't moments of breaking, and that the fear didn't stain the eyes from seeing every "permitted to publish".
The descriptions of the battles have driven sleep from many homes, where they have not slept for much more than three months, and are waiting for him to return.
Every time I looked at the house and the difficulty, and it seemed that I was going to pick up the phone and ask him to come back - an alarm going up and down reminded me that the threat is not only to the south or the north but also here at home in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rishon Lezion and Ashkelon.
Launches from Gaza, photo: AFP
I knew that my reserve husband was at the front so that my children would sleep soundly, and so would Sderot children in the future.
In every conversation he repeated that the goal was to ensure that "never again".
This time our fate was not abandoned by the followers of a few world nations, and no one hid us in an attic.
With a bag that lay ready in the depths of the closet and with military equipment that was not particularly new, a movement of hundreds of thousands who had already marked "V" many years ago for the mandatory service, and now are grateful for the privilege that fell to their lot to keep and protect.
One morning, on the way to school, when the announcer on the radio announced again, "Publishing is allowed" and told about the soldier who fell in battle, the seven-year-old asked me: "Why do they publish this? They usually tell about good things that happen."
I explained about bravery and the importance of protecting the house, but the little one clearly and innocently explained that she has been gone since October 7th.
"Our enemies want to die, they don't care, but our soldiers want to live," he said.
Every reservist who chose the battlefield chose life - the lives of the people, the children and also his own life.
Even in their death, the 21 fallen commanded us life.
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