Israel, a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz

Author:Moshe Katz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: martial arts, jewish history, israeli krav maga
Publisher: Moshe Katz

Noam Meyerson

Noam and his family immigrated to Israel from the United States. His father works with my brother in the hi-tech industry. Noam completed his obligatory service, and, as is required of all Israelis, became part of the reserves. During the Second Lebanon War, Noam, twenty-three, was called up for reserve duty. He joined a tank squadron unit that merged with a paratroopers force near the village of Bint Jbeil. An antitank missile hit the main tank leading the force, instantly killing Noam and squadron commander, Yotam Lotan, a reservist from a kibbutz.

To help cope with their tragic loss, Noam’s family decided to honor his memory by establishing a living memorial that would reflect his personality. “Noam loved nature. That’s why we chose to build a center for Jewish and environmental studies in the Mitzpe Ramon Educational Center. The new center was named Darchei Noam (from a biblical verse meaning the ways of Noam, or the ways of pleasantness, Noam is Hebrew for pleasant) and aims to teach Judaism through observing nature,” said Noam’s mother, Gila.

Noam’s immediate family members were not the only ones to take the tragedy of his death and channel it into positive deeds. Noam was close friends with his cousin Katie, thirteen, of New York. Her mother, Sandy, is the sister of Noam’s father, Haim. “Katie used to visit Israel once a year and Noam would take her on trips and spend time with her,” a family member said. “They had a very close relationship despite the age difference.” The news of Noam’s death broke Katie’s heart. In her sadness and pain, Katie decided to honor her cousin and the special bond they shared.

“At first, I built a website in his memory,” Katie said. “After that, I decided to build a playground in his name and to locate it in one of the country’s northern cities that had been hurt by Hizbullah’s missiles. I chose Kiryat Shmona for this.” Katie began raising funds for the project. She sold teddy bears and T-shirts on the Internet, bearing the slogan “Make Games Not War.” She also sent emails to her friends, asking them to donate money in Noam’s memory. “He would have been happy,” she said. Even Katie’s bat mitzvah was dedicated to her new initiative, and she asked her relatives for money instead of gifts. The response was rewarding, and soon Katie had raised ten thousand dollars. She also approached the Jewish Agency, which joined in the project and contacted the Kiryat Shmona Municipality, which in turn agreed to build the playground in their town.

Katie and her mother flew to Israel to participate in the playground’s cornerstone ceremony. “Noam was only twenty-three when a Hizbullah missile took away his smile. Had he been alive today, he would have been happy to see us building a playground in a city that has suffered from missile attacks,” Katie said.

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