New Maritime Center in Kiryat Yam to Honor Fallen IDF Soldier

A new maritime education and sports center is being established on the coast of Kiryat Yam, with a cornerstone ceremony held this week. The center will be named in memory of Sergeant Major (Res.) Idan Aviv, who fell in battle during the Swords of Iron War at the age of 28. During the ceremony, personal items belonging to Aviv, including his dog tags and surfboard wax, were buried alongside the building's foundation scroll. Aviv, who served as a surfing instructor at the local club, was remembered as a significant educational figure who instilled values of camaraderie, giving, and love for humanity through surfing.

The surfing club, operated for 16 years by the 'Maofei Yam' association, serves as a central community anchor in the city. As part of a unique municipal initiative funded by the city, all sixth-grade students in Kiryat Yam receive surfing lessons during school hours. The center also hosts activities for children on the autism spectrum, IDF preparation programs in cooperation with the Navy, and free surfing for soldiers.

The construction of the new center is expected to expand the social activities. The city's vision includes developing the location into a maritime studies school in the future, continuing to pass on Aviv's legacy in his childhood landscape. The ceremony was attended by Aviv's family and friends, Kiryat Yam Mayor David Evan Zur, the city's Rabbi Yosef Halevi Aberki, and members of the surfing club.