'You can have a meaningful service, even if you're not in an elite unit'
On December 18, 2023, Lt. A., 23, a commander in the Givati's reconnaissance unit, lost his friend Capt. Yarin Gahali, 22, in a battle in southern Gaza. Capt. Gahali, who served as a team leader in the unit, was remembered by Lieutenant A. during a talk with local teens: "I entered Gaza with the commander from our training course, who was later replaced in Khan Younis by Yarin. That’s where I met him for the first time. He was with us for just a week and a half, a short time, but incredibly meaningful. We all fell in love with him during the very first briefing.”
“He knew each of us. After our first meeting, he already remembered everyone’s names and gear setups. He came completely prepared. He spoke directly, treated us as equals. We saw that he was on our wavelength—he was exactly what we needed, like a glove on a hand,” Lieutenant A. continues, describing the fallen commander and friend, and the struggle to cope with the loss.
“When Yarin fought alongside us, from the very beginning, he trusted us completely and gave us independence. After he was wounded, he was initially classified as injured. We evacuated him and didn’t know what would happen. All day we were on edge, trying to understand how he was doing, but we had no answers. That evening, the company commander gathered us and announced that he had been killed. It was incredibly hard. He was such an amazing person, and he was taken from us so quickly.”
Lieutenant A describes the meeting with the future recruits, held as part of the program: “Many of them don’t know what they want to do yet. Some want to serve in combat roles but aren’t sure where, and others are inspired to serve because of a family member. It was important for me to tell them that no matter where they end up, they’ll meet good people and have a meaningful experience.
“When Yarin was a team commander during training, he used to say, ‘Be a person before you’re a fighter. Be a mensch. Values and decency come first.’ You could really see that in him, and I hope the high schoolers took that to heart. You can have a meaningful service with good people, even if you're not in an elite unit."
'Carry his sense of ease with you'
On May 1, 2025, Sgt. Niv Dayag, 19, a soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade, 890th Battalion, was killed in a car accident during operational activity in the Golan Heights. His friend from the battalion, Sgt. Y., 21, spoke to a group of young people about the friend he lost.
“Niv joined our team during advanced training, at a time when our squad wasn’t in the best shape. He was like a knight on a white horse—the right person at the right time. He made sure to bring us together and lift us up. He was someone who brought light and laughter wherever he went, always full of positive energy. No matter what was going on, he was the one who lifted everyone’s spirits.”
“One week we were paired up and had to carry a heavy, awkward piece of equipment. Niv saw that I was struggling with it, and even though he had his own gear to carry, he told me we’d take turns. ‘We’re in the same boat,’ he said. ‘Let’s do this together and get through it.’ That moment captures exactly who he was—whenever someone was in trouble, he was the first to step in and help.”
Sgt. Y hopes the next generation of soldiers will learn from his friend Niv “to handle whatever comes their way with calm and resilience. Even if you’re deep in a maneuver and a weekend leave gets canceled due to a sudden alert, carry his sense of ease with you. Even if you didn’t get the role you dreamed of, smile like he did. You’ll still be doing something meaningful, just as important as the role you hoped for.”
Sgt. Y was impressed by the teens he met: “I saw people ready to enlist, who understand the significance of the moment. Many of them are interested in combat service. In our discussion circles, I shared how valuable I think a gap year or pre-army leadership program can be. I believe it makes you more mature, better prepared for the system, more relaxed about it, and better equipped to handle challenges in the army.”
He also had a message for future recruits: “I hope they’ll always act in the spirit of my battalion’s motto— ‘We don’t return until the mission is done.’ That’s the battalion’s DNA. No matter what happens, we complete the mission, and we do it in the best way possible.”
'Remember his spirit, continue his path, and push the company forward'
From Lt. Y., 2), a commander in the Nahal Brigade, the 932nd Battalion, the teens heard about two of his fallen comrades—Maj. Yaniv Kula, 26, and 2nd Lt. Itay Yavetz, 21, who were killed on October 19 this year in southern Gaza.
Speaking about his company commander, Maj. Kula, Lt. Y. says: “Kula joined the company three months before he was killed, during a difficult period for us. Ten months earlier, we had lost both our company and deputy company commanders—Maj. Dvir Zion Revah and Capt. Eitan Israel Shiknazi.
“From the moment Kula arrived, the company began to rise. He led it with a firm hand to places it hadn’t been in a long time. He lifted the company’s morale, pushed for excellence, and brought it to a high level. We connected immediately; we had the same mindset and shared a drive to push forward. He was also great interpersonally: on the one hand, open about challenges, and on the other, a fighter who could instantly switch into attack mode.”
On the loss of his commander and friend, Lt. Y. said: “Kula was very close to me, and it’s been incredibly hard. I cope with his loss by holding on to his spirit. I know that if he saw me down right now, he’d be upset with me. I draw strength from the soldiers and from our work, and I get a lot of energy from the company itself. Kula used to say we had the best personnel you could ask for. What helps me is remembering his spirit, continuing his path, and pushing the company forward, because it meant so much to him.”
Lt. Y. also spoke about 2nd Lt. Yavetz: “He was relatively new to the company. He arrived about a month before he was killed. The day after he fell, he was supposed to begin university studies, then go on to officer training and return as a platoon leader. He was someone who connected with everyone in seconds. It felt like he was part of the company from day one, as if he’d been with us for a year. He paid attention to detail, was always curious and asking questions. He was genuinely excited to become a leader—he was waiting for it, looking forward to coming back to the battalion.”
Lt. Y. was deeply impressed by his meeting with the teens as part of the program. “Their motivation was higher than I expected,” he says. “Most of them want to serve in combat roles and were genuinely interested in the training and service. The stories about the fallen were difficult for them to hear, but they also strengthened them. They understood how meaningful the daily work of combat soldiers really is. They realized that being a fighter isn’t just about the excitement; it involves hard work and real risk.”
He also has a clear message for future recruits: “Whenever we were frustrated or complaining, Kula would always tell us, ‘Get up and change it.’ That applied to big things in the country, too. Kula instilled in us the understanding that you have to stand up and act. That’s the message I want them to take with them: if there’s something you want to change, don’t come with problems, come with solutions.”