Torah Scroll Dedicated in Samaria to Fallen Officer Eitan Ben Yitzhak

A Torah scroll was dedicated in the new settlement of Rehavam in the Samaria region in memory of fallen officer Eitan Ben Yitzhak, a combatant in the Egoz unit and an officer cadet who was killed in battle in Rafah. The ceremony was attended by Yossi Dagan, Head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yael and Palmach Ze'evi, the son of the late Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, Eitan's parents Nachshon and Michal Ben Yitzhak, Eitan's widow's family, Eitan's Egoz unit comrades, rabbis, and residents of Rehavam.

Yael and Palmach Ze'evi initially intended to donate the Torah scroll to Michal and Nachshon Ben Yitzhak for the spiritual elevation of their son Eitan, a resident of Har Bracha who fell during the Swords of Iron War. A joint decision was then made to place the scroll in the young settlement of Rehavam, established this year and named after Yael's father, Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, who was assassinated in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. The settlement is situated on the Trans-Samaria Highway, north of the Migdal settlement, extending the settlement continuum between Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

During the ceremony, Eitan's mother, Michal Ben Yitzhak, spoke on behalf of the family, stating, "This morning we woke up and chose to dress nicely, we left the memorial shirts we made for you in the closet, we put on holiday clothes and chose life again. The piyyut 'Shake yourself from the dust, arise, put on your garments of splendor, my people' takes on powerful meaning today. The homes being built here in Rehavam and in 'Eitan's Farm' are the garments of splendor of the land."

Yael Ze'evi shared that the Torah scroll was written over years for her son's success during his military service, with the scribe instructed not to finish it until her son returned safely. After its completion, she sought a permanent home for it. Her connection with Eitan's family and Yossi Dagan led to the scroll being placed in Rehavam, named after Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. Yael Ze'evi emphasized the importance of holding Torah in one hand and a sword in the other to conquer the land, noting that Eitan embodied this principle. She also expressed gratitude to Yossi Dagan, highlighting his long-standing dedication to the land, which began in his youth under Rehavam Ze'evi's mentorship.

Yossi Dagan, Head of the Shomron Regional Council, addressed the gathering after the Torah scroll was placed in the Ark. He thanked the Ze'evi family for the donation and the dual honor, acknowledging the scroll's arrival in this sacred place in the heart of Samaria, named after two great heroes of Israel. Dagan expressed that Eitan's spirit entered the settlement with the Torah scroll. He stated that Rehavam Ze'evi, who knew the area intimately, and Eitan, both heroes of Israel, are watching from above. Dagan affirmed their mission to build and fill the Land of Israel with goodness, light, Torah, and love for Israel and the State, following the path of Ze'evi and Ben Yitzhak. He announced plans to inaugurate a permanent synagogue in Rehavam in the coming months, which will serve as a center for Torah study and the settlement's continued growth.