Alexander Filin, a fighter in IDF Division 36 who fell in combat in southern Lebanon last Thursday, was buried on Sunday morning in the military cemetery in Haifa. He was 29. Filin was killed during operational activity in the Litani River area.
Filin immigrated to Israel from Ukraine about 15 years ago through the Jewish Agency’s Naale program, later enlisting in the IDF’s Nahal Brigade. About a decade ago, he became known after stopping a stabbing attack at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate and saving the life of a fellow soldier.
Friends described him as an extraordinary man, modest and brave, and said he was loved by those around him. After his military service, he worked in the restaurant business in Haifa, a field he reportedly loved deeply.
He leaves behind his wife, Dasha, and their three-year-old daughter, Emily, as well as many grieving family members and friends. His funeral took place on a difficult day in which many fallen soldiers were laid to rest across Israel.