The Keshet Yehonatan IDF Project

Yehonatan was born in Har Bracha as the oldest son to Dovid and Revital.

Over the course of his childhood he moved with his parents to various places in Israel, following his father who worked for the Israeli Air Force.  Right from the start, Yehonatan learned the meaning of giving of oneself on behalf of the Jewish People.

When Yehonatan started second grade, the family settled in Gimzo and he entered the Shalhevet elementary school in Shaalvim.  He continued to study in the junior high school in Yad Binyamin and then in the Scientific Yeshiva High School in Rishon L’Tzion.

Upon completing high school he entered the yeshiva “Ayelet HaShachar” in Eilat and continued from there to the Army Preparatory Yeshiva in Atzmona (Gush Katif).  Yehonatan was drafted into the paratroopers unit and having finished the “Orev” course asked to move and serve as a fighter in “gdudim”.

As part of his army service, Yehonatan was part of various military operations in Shchem  and Chevron.   During the recent war in Lebanon,  Yehonatan and his fellow soldiers fought in the battle of Aiyta-a-Shab and thus managed to take control of the highest building in the town.  Several anti-tank missiles hit the building and some of the high rank officers were killed.  Yehonatan took over the command and ran between the soldiers’ positions in order to work out a plan of action.  He was hit by shrapnel from an anti tank missile on the places where he laid tfillin on his head and arm.

In memory of Yehonatan, we have decided to found the “Soldier IDF Center”.  This Center id offering the following services:

1. Judaic classes for all of the male an female IDF soldiers in the Southern part of the country (approximately 120 lectures over the course of the year).
2. Keeping in touch in many ways with our students who are serving in the army.
3. Publishing booklets on behalf of the soldiers with articles of interest on Jewish law and thought.

This, we feel, is the proper memorial for our outstanding soldier – Yehonatan OB”M.