Yeshiva Students Visit Bereaved Families Ahead of New Year

Students from the Nachalat Israel Yeshiva in Migdal HaEmek have undertaken a project to visit families of fallen soldiers ahead of the upcoming Jewish New Year. This initiative, traditionally led by the late Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shneur Katz, was expanded this year. In addition to families of soldiers lost in Operation Protective Edge, students also visited families who lost loved ones in the recent "Swords of Iron" war.

During the visits, the students met with family members, heard about the fallen soldiers' lives and heroism, and wished the families a happy new year. Among the families visited were Ruchama and Shmuel Gottlieb, parents of Matan Gottlieb, who fell in Operation Protective Edge; Albert Elkobi, father of Lt. Col. Nati Elkobi; Assaf Levi, father of Sgt. Yair Levi; and Shalom Israel, father of Maj. Benia Israel.

Rabbi Meir Katz, the current Rosh Yeshiva, spoke about continuing the project initiated by his predecessor, Rabbi Shneur Katz, and its expansion. "This year we were privileged, in addition to the annual project led by Rabbi Shneur Katz to visit families of fallen soldiers from Protective Edge, to also visit families of fallen soldiers from the "War of Uprising" (referring to the October 7th attacks), to hear about the martyrs and be strengthened by their light ahead of the new year," he said.

Albert Elkobi, father of Lt. Col. Nati Elkobi, shared his emotional experience of hosting the yeshiva students at the Yad LaBanim house. "Today I was privileged to host students from Nachalat Israel Yeshiva from Migdal HaEmek at Yad LaBanim," he said. "They called on their own initiative and asked to hear and say thank you to the heroes of Israel. They sat for two hours and received a presentation about the heroes of Israel, and did not forget to bring a modest gift."