Remains of Fallen Israeli Soldier Yehuda Katz Returned After 44 Years
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
The remains of Israeli soldier Yehuda Katz, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaakov, were recovered and returned to Israel after 44 years, concluding a long-standing mystery. A 1988 video captures Katz’s father seeking a blessing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe for his son's return. Katz’s parents died before learning his fate, but the recent recovery has brought closure.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Remains of Israeli soldier Yehuda Katz found and returned after 44 years.
- Katz fell in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaakov during the Lebanon War.
- In 1988, Katz’s father sought a blessing from the Lubavitcher Rebbe for his missing son.
- The Rebbe blessed Katz and gave his father a dollar to give him upon return.
- Katz’s parents died before his remains were recovered, in 2011 and 2014 respectively.
- The recovery ends the mystery of missing soldiers from the 1982 battle.
The remains of Staff Sergeant Yehuda Katz, who fell in the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yaakov, were recovered and returned to Israel for burial this week, ending a 44-year mystery surrounding missing soldiers from the battle. Katz's remains were found in a joint operation and brought back after decades of uncertainty.
A poignant 1988 video shows Yehuda Katz's father, Yosef Katz, a Holocaust survivor who rebuilt his life in Israel, visiting the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Crown Heights. Yosef brought living water from the Ari Zal mikveh and pleaded with the Rebbe to bless his missing son’s return, referring to the biblical seventh year of release. The Rebbe blessed Katz and gave Yosef a dollar to give to his son upon his return, expressing hope for good news and a "good inscription and sealing."
Yehuda Katz’s parents passed away without learning their son's fate; his mother Sarah died in 2011 and his father Yosef in 2014. The recent recovery of Katz’s remains has finally closed this painful chapter for the family and the nation.
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