The special light of Yam Glass: Determination, music and endless longing
Some children bring such a singular light into the world that words can hardly capture how deeply they change the lives of everyone around them. Staff Sgt. Yam Glass was one of them. Yam, who fell on Oct. 7, 2023, in the battle for the Nahal Oz outpost at just 20, was a child of remarkable contrasts: determined, stubborn and a tomboy who played soccer with the boys, yet also a sensitive, musical soul and her mother’s best friend.
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She is survived by a loving, grieving family that seeks to preserve the memory of her singular character. This is the story of a great soul, a commander and fighter whose memory will never be forgotten.
A rich and creative inner world
As a child, Yam was a mesmerizing combination of gentleness and strength. Her father, Lior, recalls with a smile: “She was a bit of a tomboy. She loved playing soccer in the yard with her older brother and the neighbors. She was the only girl there on the field.” That special balance allowed her to fit in anywhere. “She knew when to be a girl, and she also knew she could play soccer with boys and enjoy it,” Anat adds.
Determination and stubbornness were her trademarks. Her brother, Peleg, says: “Yam was super stubborn. When she wanted something, she would go all the way. She could hear ‘no’ 50 times, and it did not matter to her. She always knew exactly what she wanted.” Alongside her decisive nature, Yam developed a rich and creative inner world and became her mother’s best friend. She played violin, keyboard and drums, and music also became the glue that connected her to her brother, Reef. “Our bond was based a lot on music. We would drive together, singing and shouting the songs on trips.”
From excellence in the Netherlands to the front line near Gaza
At 13, the family moved to the Netherlands for five years because of her father’s work. Yam excelled in science and math subjects and completed the International Baccalaureate with phenomenal achievements in physics and mathematics. Despite the comfortable life abroad, it was clear to her that she would return to Israel to enlist in the IDF. Her mother says: “As mature and serious as she was about her studies, she also knew how to get excited by the smallest things and suddenly become as sensitive and childlike as could be.”
Yam refused to serve in a rear-line position at the recruitment office and chose to become a surveillance soldier to do meaningful service. On her father’s advice, she was assigned to the Gaza sector and was immediately captivated by the role. She later completed a commanders’ course and was chosen to serve as a commander of lookout female soldiers at the Nahal Oz outpost.
On Black Saturday, Oct. 7, her parents woke to sirens. At 9:41 a.m., a final message from Yam arrived from an unfamiliar number: “Hi Mom, it’s Yam. I’m OK now.” After four agonizing weeks in which she was missing, the family received the most terrible news.
The longing left in every corner
The void Yam left behind is immense and daily. “I miss Yam in everything,” her mother says. “In the kitchen, shopping, laundry and in the interaction with Choi, her dog, whom we brought from the Netherlands. It is unbearable.” Her brothers speak of the simple desire to share everyday experiences with her. “There are so many times when things happen during the day and I know I want to tell her. She is terribly missed in music, every day.”
Despite the piercing pain, her family chooses to hold on to the great light she brought into the world. “What I would want to tell her is what I said at the funeral: how much I admire her, and how incredibly talented she was,” her brother says. “When I remember Yam, those are the best moments. Even when you are crying, a funny story about her can bring a smile. In those moments, you can see her most clearly and hear her voice exactly as it was.”
Yam Glass lived her life with intensity and courage, and will remain forever etched in the hearts of those who loved her.
Staff Sgt. Yam Glass, Border Defense Corps, fell on Oct. 7, 2023. She was 20.
May her memory be a blessing.
Staff Sergeant
Yam Glass