On October 7, the world as we knew it changed forever. In the shadow of a devastating massacre, all of us were forced to confront the depths of hate, witnessing acts of violence that shook our collective conscience. We also witnessed acts of heroism, a united nation who stood up and came to the rescue of their fellow brothers and sisters.
This tragedy touched everyone in some way or another. Unfortunately, the AMIT school system was not excluded from the loss of human life. As many as 55 AMIT alumni, teachers or their relatives have been killed since October 7, many of them in the line of duty, protecting our country. We find ourselves reflecting on their lives, their acts of bravery, and the indelible imprint they have left on our hearts and souls. Each life that was taken represents a unique story, cut tragically short, with dreams unfulfilled and potential never realized.
here are a few of those stories
A shy 19-year-old, Matan was known by his friends and teachers as a quiet but intelligent guy. “This boy had a silence of strength,” describes Einat Rubin, principal of AMIT HaOfek High School in Or Akiva, where Matan attended school.
Matan was a determined student, someone who listened to his teachers and really internalized what they taught him. He was able to finish his matriculation majoring in electrical engineering, a very difficult major. Dima Bullet was his teacher during his time at the high school. “Matan was a very wise, intelligent guy, and it was fun to have conversations with him,” says Dima. “Matan had many interests, like digital currency and the crypto world, which is unusual for students of that age.”
Dima’s class consisted of 10 at-risk youths who had previously experienced violence in their lives. None of the students had any interest in enlisting in the army when they started his class. But through one-on-one conversations, inspirational speakers, and stories from his own army service, Dima noticed a change in their attitudes. He helped his students expunge their criminal records, spoke with the police, got letters of recommendation for them, and supported them throughout the process. “As a physical education teacher, it was important for me to prepare the students for a meaningful army service, and Matan really liked it,” he says. Dima accompanied Matan through his service, attending his swearing-in ceremony and his Corps Beret ceremony, where he received an “Outstanding Trainee” recognition.
Matan’s strength was on display on October 7, when as a member of the Golani Brigade’s 13th battalion, he found himself and six other soldiers in the heat of battle trapped inside an armored personnel carrier (APC), also known as a Namer by the Israeli army. “That morning, he and his team were on standby,” says Matan’s father, Arik. Matan and his fellow soldiers headed toward the infiltration zone and fought off the attacks coming at them from different directions. At some point near the border, up to 40 terrorists started to shoot at them using rockets, mortar bombs, and anti-tank missiles. One of the rockets hit the top of the APC, permanently damaging the lid and exposing the soldiers. The Golani soldiers took turns shooting from the opening until they ran out of ammunition. The terrorists took this opportunity to throw a grenade into the opening.
“According to what his friends said,” Arik explains, “Matan recognized the grenade and tried to take it out. He was stuck at some angle of the Namer, and tried to pull the grenade to throw it outside, but it was a matter of two seconds. He saw that he couldn’t get it out, so he jumped to the corner where the grenade was, pressed his chest to it, and absorbed the explosion.”
By this time, many of the soldiers in the Namer were both stunned and injured. As the smoke inside the tiny space cleared out, the medic inside the APC found himself holding Matan in his arms, a result of the force of the explosion. Matan was mortally wounded—but still alive. For seven minutes, he lay in his friend’s arms. With his last breath and ounce of strength, he muttered: “I tried to do everything in order to protect the state and my friends.” His split-second, selfless decision had saved his friends’ lives but claimed his own.
“If they told me to think of a boy in this class who jumped on a grenade to save his friends and they didn’t tell me who the boy was, I would say that it is unequivocally Matan,” says Einat Rubin. “He’s a part of us. I’m still not getting used to this difficult feeling, being a bereaved principal.”
Gabriel Blum, a fighter in the divisional engineering team of Division 36, was killed by an explosion that occurred in the area of a strategic tunnel in the center of the Gaza Strip. Blum was a student at AMIT Nachshon Yeshiva, where educators and peers describe him as beloved. “The loss is hard and the grief breaks our hearts,” says Rabbi Itai Weiss, head of the yeshiva. “Blum was a talented student with high abilities who achieved excellence. His teachers, along with the entire yeshiva, participate in the terrible grief of the parents and family members.”
Rabbi Zvi Sonnenshein, one of Blum’s teachers, says that he was a bright student who had “good eyes and a good heart.” Rabbi Sonnenshein continues, “He was loved by his friends and it was important to him to serve in the IDF as a fighter and contribute to the country. Blum had inner strength and a simple joy of life that made him loved by everyone he met.”
And Beit Shemesh’s mayor, Dr. Aliza Bloch, called Blum “a hero of Israel who in his service protected the people and the land.”
Osnat Zini, a 10th grade teacher at the AMIT Kiryat Chamad school in Sderot, and her husband, Amir, lost their son Nirel, a graduate of the AMIT Havruta Yeshiva, and his girlfriend, Niv Raviv. The couple was murdered in Kfar Aza on October 7. Nirel had been planning on surprising Niv with a proposal on October 10, a special anniversary for him. On that day eight years earlier, Nirel was severely injured during an operational activity in Hebron while serving as an officer in the Givati Brigade.
On October 7, Nirel sent his family his last text: “I’ll update, they’re here. I’m putting the phone down, pray.” He held a knife and the door of their secure room while Niv hid under the bed. For a week, their families had no information about what happened to them. Finally on Friday, they got the sad news. The couple’s bodies were found amongst the burnt wreckage of the home they shared. Inside the rubble lay the engagement ring with which Nirel was planning on proposing.
Nirel and Niv came from very different backgrounds, but their relationship only grew stronger over the eight years they were together. Nirel came from a religious household in Tlamim and Niv, from a non-religious home in Netanya. They met in the army and fell in love. For both of them, giving to others was their main purpose in life.
Osnat and Amir decided to immortalize Nirel and Niv by commissioning a decorated wedding canopy that will be passed on between couples celebrating their marriages. To date, three Jewish couples have already been married under this canopy; the most recent couple served in Gaza before leaving to start their new lives together. Osnat and Amir hope for many more weddings to come and many more Jewish homes built.
Uriel was an amazing child, sweet and smiling, a sandwich between two brothers,” says his mother, Naama Segal, lovingly. “He was born on the fifth night of Hanukkah, so we decided to name him Uriel, a name that symbolizes light and joy.”
She continues, “At age two, his hearing began to decline, and then his speech. He studied in specialized language kindergartens and his development was excellent. Despite this, he still had difficulties in hearing and speaking, which he compensated for with his social ability. He started to study at AMIT Kfar Ganim in 7th grade and had a hard time at first. When Rabbi Livni became his educator in 10th grade, everything changed. Thanks to Rabbi Livni, Uriel flourished.”
Uriel was serving on the Kissufim army base in the time leading up to the morning of Simchat Torah. He was already back at the base when the chaos started, and his family started to get concerned when they heard rumors of an infiltration at Kissufim. They contacted everyone they could, with no response. “On Monday at three in the afternoon,” Naama recalls, “there was a knock on the door, and we immediately understood that this was the gospel of Job.” Adi, his father, continues: “We know he died out of heroism. We now know that he was in the shelter with 17 other soldiers and fought fierce battles against the terrorists. They threw grenades at them and Uriel pushed the grenades out. In the end, the terrorists threw a powerful explosive into the shelter, and this killed Uriel and some of his friends.”
Hadas Shamir, director of the school for the learning disabled at the yeshiva, remembers Uriel fondly. “Every friend we meet points out that he was a true friend, loved, dear and a listening ear.” Rabbi Nitzan Berger, head of the yeshiva, was inspired by Uriel. “We know that to finish a course as a warrior in the Golani and to be on the lines in the North and South requires mental strength, bravery, and a lot of internal struggles. It’s clear to me that Uriel gritted his teeth on this matter. He did not give up on himself as he struggled to succeed, he was strong-willed, and all these characterized him very much. He experienced these difficulties throughout his life, and each of his achievements involved a lot of effort. Nothing was taken for granted.”
Dan was on a trip to South America and returned to Israel a week before the war, due to start his studies in physiotherapy at the Tel Aviv University School of Medicine. When the massacre of October 7 happened, Dan did not hesitate to join his reserve unit, Battalion 5037 of the Yiftach Brigade. Tragically, Dan fell in the line of duty in Gaza.
“Dan chose meaningful service as a soldier in the IDF out of love and concern for the country and the people,” explains Ilanit Yamini, a counselor at the AMIT Gwen Straus High School for Boys. “It is difficult to describe Dan’s wonderful personality. He was the ‘perfect’ one of the group. He was an excellent student loved by friends and teachers, an athlete, easygoing, and always with a charming smile on his face.”
Ilanit continues, “Above all, Dan possessed humility accompanied by a powerful calmness. He was a person who brought light to the world with every action, but always with modesty.”
Yaakov Elian is described by his loved ones as having had a big heart and grace that contributed to making him a beloved student of the teachers at AMIT Bar Ilan Technological School. Elian studied in the computer science program as he also prepared himself for combat service. As a teenager, he volunteered regularly with the Israel Police.
Upon his enlistment, Elian was a cadet in the Bahad 1 Officers’ School’s Gefen Battalion. Elian was raised at home on the values of Zionism and love of country, and he wanted to contribute to it as much as he could. He decided to go to the Officers’ Training Course. He bravely fought against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, but unfortunately he did not return.
Yaakov Shasha, his 12th-grade teacher, says that what characterized Elian was genuine innocence. “His mouth and his heart were always in sync, and his desire to give and contribute was pure and clean,” says Shasha. “Giving to others was at the root of his soul, giving to friends, family, and the people. This was reflected in his entire personality. He had a gentle smile. He was always true to himself, knew how to take responsibility, and always wanted to improve, to progress, and not to stand still. His classmates felt privileged to be his friends. He always took care of others before he took care of himself, and was a true and loyal friend.”
