Theirs is a family of loyal and brave soldiers who love and serve Israel.
Five years following the death of Ben Vanunu, z”l, an AMIT alumnus who was killed in Gaza in 2014 during his army service, his brother Moshiko has enlisted in the same unit, the elite Golani Brigade.
“I have no doubt that Ben would have been proud of me and I will miss him terribly on my enlistment day,” Moshiko told the Israel Hayom newspaper.
“I debated whether to go into a combat unit, but I’m doing this for myself and for him. I will carry a weight on my shoulders because my parents already have lost a son, and also because it will be hard to live up to Ben’s standards as an outstanding soldier. I will do my best to prove that I can.”
The Vanunus’ mother, Sarit, said she opposed the idea initially, but finally gave in because Moshiko was so persistent. She added that, at first, she envisioned another son going to fight in Gaza, but she took comfort in the fact that, as a bereaved parent, she can ask the army not to send him into battle.
The army requires parental permission for siblings of fallen soldiers to serve in combat units and during wartime.
Moshiko, an alumnus of AMIT Yud Ashdod High School, is also following in the footsteps of his sister Ron, who similarly decided to enlist in Golani for her army service in order to keep Ben’s memory alive.
Ron, an AMIT graduate as well, was among the student ambassadors to AMIT’s annual dinner in 2017.
A little more than a year after Ben was killed, Ron, with the support of her AMIT principal, enlisted in Golani as a way of honoring her brother. She said she wanted to serve in the same battalion as her Ben as a tribute to him. She described him as a sweet and cheerful soul whose life was turned around when AMIT took over their Ashdod school.
“He (Ben) was so motivated to do everything. He did his bagrut and the principal encouraged him to go [into Golani],” Ron said in an AMIT video that was made for the 2017 dinner. The video can be seen here:
And like her brother Ben, the AMIT school had a tremendous impact on her. “The school instilled in me great values,” Ron said. “I’m not sure students in other schools get that.”
Now her younger brother, Moshiko is following in the footsteps of Ben, z”l, and Ron.
Keren David, Moshiko’s teacher, said that it was important for him to prove that he can achieve greatness, despite the challenges and emotional complexities of the situation. “We did our best to provide a support system for him and envelop him with love,” she told the newspaper.
David said she was certain that Moshiko would do the same for his fellow soldiers in Golani, telling him. “I believe you will overcome every challenge and serve as an inspiration and provide the same security and camaraderie to your friends in Golani.”
