Hundreds Attend Ceremony for Torah Scroll Honoring Fallen Soldiers

Hundreds of students, staff, family members, and residents gathered on Sunday at the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva in Ali for a ceremony to dedicate a new Torah scroll. The scroll was commissioned in memory of two alumni, Staff Sergeant Yoav Malik, who fell during the Swords of Iron War, and Elisha Antman, who was murdered in a terror attack near a gas station in June 2023. The event, held in cooperation with the "Manitzim" association, aimed to honor their memory and connect the past with the ongoing life of the community.

The ceremony began with the writing of the final letters of the Torah scroll at the Antman family's home, followed by a procession to the yeshiva accompanied by singing and dancing. Among the attendees were Elchanan Galat, CEO of the Bnei Akiva Yeshivas and Ulpanot Center; Shuki Stat, CEO of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council; Sandy Hershkowitz, the scroll's donor; Rabbi Assaf Korman, former rabbi of the Neve Shoham neighborhood where Elisha Antman lived; Avidan Beit Yaakov, head of the Ali community; and Rabbi Hezekiah Darmon, head of the yeshiva.

Elchanan Galat stated that the event was an "exciting moment that connects memory with the life that continues to be built here." He emphasized that each student and alumnus is a "living Torah scroll" who continues to live a life of Torah and action, and that educators have a responsibility to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the people, land, and state of Israel, and to continue their path.