‘King of the good life’: farewell to Staff Sgt. Amit Friedman, the soldier who always saw the glass half full
There are people whose entire lives are a tribute to joy, friendship and kindness. Such was Staff Sgt. Amit Friedman. A fighter in the Nahal Brigade, Amit was killed in battle in Rafah on Aug. 27, 2024. He was 19.
He is survived by his parents, siblings and heartbroken friends, but also a powerful legacy of optimism, fellowship and love of life.
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‘A gift of a child’: Between the basketball court and the Scouts
From early childhood, Amit stood out for his infectious smile and boundless energy. “My Amit was a very happy child,” his mother, Liat, recalls wistfully. “It wasn’t for nothing that we called him ‘King of the Good Life.’ As a child he was very mischievous.”
His father, Asaf, adds with pride: “Amit was simply a gift of a child, a very active little boy who grew into a very social kid. His entire childhood and adolescence revolved around friends and the Scouts.” Amit was a younger brother to Roy and an older brother to Yuval.
For Amit, the Scouts were not just an after-school activity but a way of life. “He was a Scout at heart,” Liat says. “He was there from a young age, first as a camper and later as a counselor. The Scouts were in his blood.”
Alongside his youth movement activity, Amit was an outstanding athlete who played basketball on city teams and in his school’s sports program. The combination of athletic discipline and the social spirit of the Scouts shaped him into a teenager who always sought togetherness.
The brother and friend who always saw others
Amit’s bond with his family was deep and inseparable. His brother Roy describes a connection almost like twins: “There’s a three-year gap between us, and I simply don’t remember myself without him. Every family event, flights abroad, and Shabbat dinners were always together. We were very similar in character.”
But Amit’s closeness did not end at home. “He was a very central figure among his friends,” his father says. “Only afterward did we understand how important he was to all of them.”
Amit had a rare ability to notice who needed help even before they asked. “What guided him morally was the value of camaraderie,” Asaf adds. “Amit always saw the other person. It came naturally to him. We heard stories from friends about how he never left anyone aside, how he would pick them up in his car when needed, or offer a kind word at the right moment.”
Even in leisure, Amit knew how to savor every moment. “In the 19 years he had, which weren’t enough, he knew how to live,” Roy says. “He loved going out in Tel Aviv, to cafés, or just hanging out with friends, having a drink and laughing. He truly loved life.”
‘He understood the gravity of the hour’: The path to Nahal
Even before enlisting, Amit knew where he was headed. He prepared seriously for combat service, enrolled in a pre-military program and invested in physical and mental training. “He knew he wanted to make his service as meaningful as possible,” his brother says.
He enlisted in the Nahal Brigade in August 2023. Two months later, war broke out. Though only at the beginning of his military path, Amit grasped the magnitude of the moment. “From Oct. 7, he understood the gravity of the hour,” Roy says.
His mother recalls fear mixed with pride: “His training was under the shadow of war. I was happy when he went to a squad commanders course because I thought it would keep him away from fighting in Gaza, but that wasn’t the case, as he entered Gaza as part of the course.”
Amit returned to his battalion as a squad commander, a role he carried out with dedication and characteristic optimism. “He was very at peace with what he was doing,” his father says. “He always knew how to look at the glass half full and see the good.”
The final battle in Rafah
On Aug. 27, 2024, Amit’s battalion was on a mission in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. The unit was securing an area where special forces were operating in search of hostages in an underground route. “He so dreamed of doing something meaningful for the hostages,” his mother says in pain.
During a maneuver between two buildings, serving as the rear guard of the force, Amit identified a cell of terrorists. He did not hesitate. He alerted his unit and engaged, opening fire. In the ensuing exchange, Amit was critically wounded. Despite efforts by medics from the 669 rescue unit, he lost significant blood and succumbed to his injuries in transport to the hospital.
“He looked challenges in the eye and went at them with full force,” his brother says, pride mingled with sorrow. “He did everything in the best way, with a smile on his face. Always.”
A legacy of a smile: ‘Amit’s Friends Café’
To commemorate his unifying spirit, the family established “Amit’s Friends Café,” a community coffee cart run by volunteers.
“It’s a project in Amit’s spirit,” Asaf says. “It was important to him to meet people, and this place is a social gathering point for those who knew him and those who didn’t.”
The slogan accompanying the café is one of Amit’s most familiar phrases: “There’s good music, beautiful people, why wouldn’t you come?”
“That’s exactly him,” Roy says. “We’re sure Amit would have loved this.”
In closing, the family asks to convey one message in his name. “I want you to remember Amit as the positive person he was,” his mother says. “As the King of the Good Life who loved life in an extraordinary way. Remember to see the good. That’s what he would have wanted.”
His father adds words that shake the heart: “It was a great privilege to be Amit’s father. Simply an amazing child. I wish every parent a child like him.”
Staff Sgt. Amit Friedman fell a hero, defending his comrades and the country he so loved, leaving behind a trail of light that no darkness can extinguish.
May his memory be a blessing.
Staff Sergeant
Amit Friedman