A rare gift for connecting with people: Remembering Master Sgt. Ori Yaish
Master Sgt. Ori Yaish, a soldier and commander in the IDF's Manpower Corps, was killed on Feb. 16, 2024, at the age of 27. Ori, who grew up in Ramla in a warm, playful and close-knit family, left behind an immense void, but also an extraordinary legacy of unconditional love, music and inner harmony.
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A people person
From childhood, Ori stood out for his unique personality. His sister, Tom, recalls a relationship that was almost like that of a mother and child, while his brother, Eyal, describes a deeply symbiotic bond. Ori had a rare ability to connect with people, bring them together and open their hearts. "He would spot someone, walk up to them and say, 'I love you,' and bring them into the group," his loved ones recall.
His close friends, Benayahu (Boni) Gadassi and Aviel Israel, remember the special bond they shared with him, one they will never forget.
Musical telepathy and a drive for excellence
The two things that mattered most to Ori were family and music. He taught himself freestyle rap, wrote poetry and sang from the heart. "We had a kind of musical telepathy," his friends recall. "We could read each other's minds. We knew what the other was about to play or say.”
When he enlisted in the military, Ori chose a path of service rooted in giving rather than harming others. He served as a personnel officer in the Manpower Corps and became a central, beloved figure wherever he went. Even after completing his mandatory military service, Ori refused to remain idle and pursued higher education, graduating with honors.
When war broke out on Oct. 7, Ori immediately reported for reserve duty at Sde Teiman. On Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, after staying behind to assist with a military exercise, Ori was murdered in a terrorist attack at Re'em Junction.
A legacy of unconditional love
The words that define Ori's memory are love, peace and unity. Ori hated war and believed in bringing people closer together and finding inner wholeness. "I haven't lost him. He's with me all the time. He's here," his loved ones say, still struggling to come to terms with the magnitude of their loss.
Ori left behind an unwritten testament: Be true to yourself, believe in goodness and love unconditionally.
Master Sgt. Ori Yaish, of the Manpower Corps, was killed on Feb. 16, 2024, at the age of 27.
May his memory be a blessing.
Master Sergeant
Ori Yaish