Torah Scroll Dedicated to Fallen Soldier in New West Bank Settlement

A Torah scroll was dedicated in the new settlement of Rahav'am in the West Bank in memory of Second Lieutenant Eitan Ben Yitzhak, who was killed in combat in Rafah. The scroll was donated by Yael and Palmach Ze'evi, the latter being the son of the late Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. The settlement of Rahav'am is named after Palmach Ze'evi's father.

The ceremony, held in the newly established settlement in the Shomron region, was attended by Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, the Ze'evi family, Eitan Ben Yitzhak's parents, Michal and Nachshon Ben Yitzhak, his widow Atara, Eitan's comrades from the Egoz unit, rabbis, and residents of Rahav'am.

Michal Ben Yitzhak spoke at the event, expressing a choice to embrace life despite their grief. "This morning we woke up and chose to dress up, we left the memory shirts in the closet, we put on holiday clothes and chose life again," she said, adding that the homes being built in Rahav'am and "Farm Eitan" are the "robes of glory 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 instructions to the scribe not to finish it until her son returned safely. The connection with Eitan's family and Yossi Dagan led to the scroll being placed in Rahav'am, named after her father. She emphasized the importance of holding both Torah and a sword to defend the land, stating that Eitan embodied this ideal.

Yossi Dagan thanked the Ze'evis for the donation and for the dual commemoration of "building the land and Torah." He described the spiritual significance of the Torah entering the settlement, linking it to the souls of Eitan and Rehavam Ze'evi. Dagan announced plans to inaugurate a permanent synagogue in Rahav'am in the coming months, intended to be a center for Torah study and community life, continuing the legacy of both heroes.