IDF Sergeant Yehuda Yekutiel Katz Laid to Rest 44 Years After Death in Lebanon War

A farewell ceremony was held on Friday morning at the Kerem B'Yavneh Hesder Yeshiva for Sergeant Yehuda Yekutiel Katz, z"l, the last missing soldier from the Battle of Sultan Yaakov. His remains were located and returned to Israel this week after 44 years. Family members, friends, rabbis, alumni, and current students gathered in the study hall where Katz learned before departing for the First Lebanon War, sharing eulogies in his memory.

Following the ceremony, the funeral procession proceeded from the yeshiva to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where Katz was laid to rest. The Hesder Yeshivot Union expressed that Katz had been deeply missed by his family, friends, and the entire Hesder Yeshiva community for over four decades. They highlighted his embodiment of the core values of the Hesder Yeshiva system: the integration of Torah study with responsibility for the people and land of Israel, and the readiness to leave study and don military uniform to defend the country.

The union extended condolences to Katz's family, friends, and the Kerem B'Yavneh yeshiva family, emphasizing the enduring prayers for his return throughout the years since the battle.