A hero: Sgt. Maj. Reouven Chicheportiche, fighter, builder and father who made dreams come true
Sgt. Maj. Reouven Chicheportiche, a fighter in the Carmeli Reconnaissance Unit and a resident of the community of Shlomit, was a man whose entire life was woven with giving, love of the land and a deep connection to the people of Israel. On Saturday, October 7, 2023, at just 37 years old, Reouven set out to defend Moshav Pri Gan after terrorists infiltrated it, and fell in a heroic battle that prevented a heavy massacre. His death left an immense void in the hearts of all who knew him.
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‘He saw the good in everyone’
Reouven was born in France. His family chose to immigrate to Israel when he was 6 so he could begin first grade there. His father, Eric, recalls the decision: “We decided he would not begin first grade in France. We would immigrate with him so he could start everything here from the beginning.”
Despite the language difficulties of a new immigrant, Reouven proved to be a child with extraordinary self-confidence and rare social sensitivity. His mother, Brigitte, says: “He knew how to cope with challenges from a young age. He showed confidence and immediately stood up for the children on the margins of the class.” She recalls him telling one vulnerable classmate: “You are my friend, I am your friend.”
His sister, Elisheva Cohen, describes him as the family’s pillar: “Ever since I was little, I remember all eyes being on him. To me, he was the compass.”
A mission of joy
Already in his youth in Jerusalem, at the height of the terror attacks, Reouven burned with a sense of mission to save lives. At 15, he volunteered with MDA, and when his father feared the harsh scenes he would encounter, Reouven answered with a sentence that became the motto of his life: “Dad, it’s true that I see horrors, but saving even one person, you have no idea what happiness that is.” His sister sums it up this way: “Someone needs me; if I can help someone, I am there.”
His connection to the Land of Israel was almost mystical. He loved classic Israeli songs such as “Lu Yehi” and "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" (Jerusalem of Gold), singing them with a devotion that sounded like prayer. His mother says he would pick up trash in the street out of respect for the land: “So much blood has been spilled on this land, How can anyone leave it littered like this?”
The builder of the home in Shlomit
Reouven met Tzofiya during his military service in the Golani Reconnaissance Unit. She recalls their first date: “I came home and told my mother: I just met the best person I have ever had the privilege of knowing.” Together, they moved to the community of Shlomit in the Gaza border area when it was still in its infancy. “Everything was just sand, and trailers were just placed there for us. I felt we were living the dream,” Tzofiya says.
In Shlomit, Reouven was “a father who made dreams come true.” He built the family’s permanent home with his own hands over three years. Tzofiya describes him as a father who threw himself into every adventure with the children, from ATV trips to water fights. “There was something so optimistic and alive in him, always doing and creating. How I miss the noise of the screwdriver,” she says longingly.
The final battle
On the morning of Simchat Torah, when the attack began at 6:29 a.m., Reouven did not hesitate. “He looked at his wife, at each one of his children, and he ran outside,” his mother says. As part of the local community security squad, Reouven fought fiercely against the terrorists who had infiltrated Moshav Pri Gan.
When his brother Hillel broke the news to the family, “There is no Reouven. Reouven is in heaven,” the sky fell. Tzofiya, with inspiring strength, tells their children: “In the end, if Dad had not gone, he would not have been our dad.” Reouven, who throughout his life was “the righteous one” and “the angel,” fell as he had lived, defending his people and his country with joy and self-sacrifice.
Sergeant Major Reouven Chicheportiche, Carmeli Reconnaissance Unit, fell on October 7, 2023. He was 37.
May his memory be a blessing.
Sergeant Major
Reouven Chicheportiche