Tank crewman Yair Katz OBM returned to faith and never skipped reserve duty: ‘He bridged worlds’
On the 6th of Shevat 5784 (Jan. 16, 2024), during ground operations in the Gaza Strip, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yair Katz, a fighter in the Armored Corps, fell in battle at age 34. The son of Edna and Yogev, Yair was not only a reservist soldier; he was a figure who bridged worlds, a man who lived by a unique inner compass and was unafraid to stray from the conventional path to find his calling. He was the younger brother of Yoav and Gil.
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The child who searched for his path
Yair was the youngest child in the Katz family, and from an early age it was clear he possessed an unusual character. His father, Yogev Katz, recalls his youngest son: “Yair was our youngest child, and among the three brothers he was the most opinionated, the most stubborn, and also, I would say, the most different in the sense that he chose directions in life that were not always along the mainstream, but they were always meaningful choices.”
His brother Yoav describes a childhood full of smiles and mischief that evolved into a powerful presence. “He was a mischievous kid, maybe even a bit of a debater, smiling, energetic, with many friends.” Yoav smiles as he recalls Yair’s physical transformation: “He grew to be 6-foot-1, loved working out at the gym, Thai boxing. He became a big guy and always liked demonstrating Thai boxing on me and it wasn’t always very gentle. Inside, I felt he was getting a bit of payback for childhood.”
The sensitive soul beneath the rough exterior
Despite his imposing appearance and interest in combat sports, Yair carried rare sensitivity within him. One of the most moving stories his father shares concerns his deep bond with his grandmother. “He took it upon himself to be with his grandmother, my mother, every evening, even after my father passed away, to eat dinner with her, and he kept that up until she died.”
Yair was then a teenager, an age when most prefer spending evenings with friends, but he chose differently. “He was 15, almost 16, with friends... but like Swiss clockwork he would arrive. She would already be standing at the window waiting for him. He would come, sit with her, eat with her, keep her company. That speaks to his soul. On the outside he was rough and macho, but his relationships with people and those who knew him, were always deep.”
His father emphasizes that Yair’s defining trait was integrity. “What stood out most was his inner truth and his relentless drive to reach the place, the goal, the standard he believed in. It involved many challenges because he always pushed himself. It wasn’t the norm, it was beyond.”
From returning to faith to the turret of a tank
As a teenager, Yair became more religious, a path that posed challenges for his secular family. “When he was 15 or 16, he began that process, but we didn’t realize how seriously he took it until at 17 or so he came to me one day and said, ‘I received an exemption from enlistment,’” his father recalls.
Yogev adds: “All of this ran counter to the values we believe in, and I told him, ‘Listen, Gil, your brother, is serving in the Armored Corps, why don’t you speak with him and decide?’” The conversation with his older brother tipped the balance. Yair decided to enlist in the Armored Corps and became an exceptionally devoted soldier. “He completed more than 13 years of reserve duty without missing,” his father says proudly.
The final battle in Shijaiyah
When the Iron Swords war broke out, Yair reported immediately. He served nearly 100 days under fire. “It was after almost 100 days of the war, the second or third tour, when they went back into Gaza,” Yogev says painfully. The timing was especially cruel: Yair was just before his release from reserve duty. “It was about 10 days or two weeks before the end of his service. They were supposed to be discharged.”
During operations in Shijaiyah, Yair’s tank encountered an ambush. “They were returning along the northern route toward Shijaiyah, and in an area they had already been in before there was an anti-tank ambush. His tank took a missile that hit at an unconventional angle.” Yair was killed along with his fellow crew member, Master Sergeant (res.) Zechariah Pesach Haber. Yair’s father sees deep symbolism in their bond: “They represented a union of two worlds into a whole and both were killed.”
The quiet mentor: the testament revealed at 30 days
Only after his death did the extent of Yair’s influence on others become clear. During the 30-day memorial ceremony, a stranger appeared and shared an extraordinary story.
“I kept seeing someone standing outside out of the corner of my eye,” Yoav recalls. “He came up and said, ‘Listen, I couldn’t come to the shiva and I couldn’t enter the synagogue. I’ve been standing outside for two hours. I don’t know why, I just didn’t have the emotional strength. I want to tell you that Yair changed my life. Where I am today is because of Yair.’”
The man described how Yair had taken him under his wing when he was lost. “He said, ‘Because of Yair, I enlisted and said I would only join the Armored Corps. I trained at the gym and I still train today.’ From that point, Yair mentored him in every aspect of his life.”
The story shook the family. “I knew his depth,” Yoav concludes. “But I didn’t know that someone he barely knew had their life changed by him.”
Sgt. Maj. (res.) Yair Katz left an immense void in his family’s heart. “The daily connection, he lived not far from us, so there was daily contact and communication and that’s what’s missing,” his father says.
Yair fell as he lived, out of total commitment to his truth, to his comrades and to his country.
May his memory be a blessing.
Sergeant Major
Yair Katz