Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg Remembers Friend Yehuda Katz After 44 Years Since His Disappearance

Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, president of Kerem B'Yavneh Yeshiva, emotionally recounted his farewell to Yehuda Katz, a yeshiva student whose remains were found 44 years after he went missing in the Battle of Sultan Yaakov. In an interview with Channel 7, Rabbi Greenberg recalled Katz as a humble and brilliant young Torah scholar who stood out among his peers and often helped others understand the yeshiva's general lessons taught by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldwicht. Katz was known as the main "chazer" (reviewer) who would repeat the head of yeshiva's lessons in the evening for those who struggled to grasp them.

Rabbi Greenberg shared personal memories of studying the daily Talmud page with Katz during midday breaks, highlighting their close Torah connection. One of his most vivid memories was the night they completed the tractate Arakhin together, just hours before Katz left the yeshiva and subsequently disappeared. They had planned to finish the last two pages immediately after a wedding celebration at the yeshiva, knowing Katz would be taken away that night. Rabbi Greenberg described the emotional intensity of their final words during the tractate's conclusion, sensing the uncertainty of Katz's fate.

After Katz's disappearance, friends and yeshiva members gathered at his parents' home to pray and remember him. Rabbi Greenberg once shared the story of their last study session with Katz's father, who revealed that a mystic had dreamt of Katz studying Arakhin in a garden, a vision that deeply moved him. Over the years, the yeshiva continued praying for Katz and other missing soldiers from that era.

Rabbi Greenberg also recounted finding a note in Katz's drawer containing personal spiritual guidelines, including daily Psalms, avoiding idle talk in the study hall, moderate eating, increased prayer and supplication, early rising before prayer, and regular immersion in a ritual bath. He emphasized Katz's great soul and spiritual dedication, describing him as a simple, modest individual who exemplified the ideal young Torah scholar.