Commemoration through life and Zionism: Advanced tools and agricultural equipment were distributed Monday evening at a special event hosted by the 'Goalei HaAretz' association. The equipment was delivered in unique trailers, each bearing the names of heroes who fell during the "Iron Swords" war, to agricultural farms across the country. The "Agalot HaGvura" (Heroism Trailers) initiative was launched three years ago by Yonatan Ben Shoshan, founder of the association, following the murder of his close friend Hallel Yaniv and his brother Yagel in a terror attack in Huwara.
During the Shiva for the Yaniv brothers, Ben Shoshan decided to establish a unique memorial by donating agricultural equipment to isolated farms in the West Bank. Three years later, 28 trailers loaded with equipment were donated, memorializing heroes who fell in the current war and previous terror attacks. This project joins other field initiatives, such as clearing access roads named after fallen "Iron Swords" soldiers and the "Shualot" project, which brings at-risk youth to farms to assist during the lambing season and with general farm needs.
His mother, Michal, shares: "Neria refused to say the Kiddush blessing over wine that wasn't produced in the Land of Israel. He was a child of nature in every fiber of his being and truly loved the soil." She describes how he absorbed his connection to agriculture at the Regavim Yeshiva; whenever he returned home with mud clinging to his clothes and shoes, he would say with a smile: 'Mom, this is the soil of the Land of Israel'. That was his greatest love," Michal says.
On that Black Saturday of Simchat Torah, Neria rushed to the most intense combat zones. He eliminated terrorists in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and Alumim, and after rescuing dozens of Be'eri residents, he fell in battle against scores of terrorists while clearing the kibbutz gardens. Michal herself suffered a "broken heart" from the devastating news and underwent a cardiac event. Since her recovery, the family has continued to expand and add life, including through their involvement in the trailer project.
On the other side of the trailer commemorating Neria, appears the name of Sgt. Amichai Rubin, a Golani Brigade soldier who fell in a heroic battle at the Mo'af base near Nir Oz. In a notebook found in his belongings, Amichai had written his guiding principle: "First, pay attention to the person in front of me and treat them with respect." He fought a prolonged holding action while wounded himself, until the terrorists were repelled.
His mother, Batia, says: "He was beloved, but also stubborn and opinionated, traits that were clearly expressed in his final battle." After four years of study in a high-level Yeshiva, Amichai enlisted and became an outstanding Negev machine gunner. "He brought his good character into his military service, helping those who struggled on marches, covering guard shifts for exhausted friends, and always being the first to volunteer for the hardest tasks. He saw the good of others before his own, exactly as he did on October 7," Batia recounts painfully. Amichai was rushed to the hospital, and after a three-day struggle, doctors declared him brain-dead. His parents decided to donate his organs, saving the lives of five other people.
"When they asked him if he was afraid to die, he replied: 'I am afraid, but if I must give my life, I am ready.' When I heard that, I realized my son chose to enter this event with his eyes wide open, out of a choice to die Kiddush Hashem (sanctifying God's name). When you view this not just through a private lens, but through the broad perspective of an entire nation and as part of our journey toward redemption, it gives great strength," Batia says through tears, explaining that the trailer commemoration is part of the decision to rise and move forward. "Amichai loved the land and fought for it with heroism, so an initiative aimed at building and developing the land connects deeply to his character."
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter. Minister Smotrich, alongside the Yaniv family, cut the red ribbon on the trailer dedicated to their sons.
Yonatan Ben Shoshan, Founder and CEO of 'Goalei HaAretz', said that "Through the Agalot HaGvura project, we seek to plant the memory of the past into the future of the nation. Bereaved families aren't just looking for stone monuments; they see land development as the most fitting tribute. The memory of our heroes becomes the building blocks of the land and its defense. This is the most living form of commemoration possible."