During the Simchat Torah holiday, while many celebrated across the country, 20 children were left fatherless, all perishing in battles in southern Lebanon. These children, aged between 4 and 17, faced the profound loss of a parent at an early stage in their lives.
In the clashes in southern Lebanon during Simchat Torah, 10 soldiers were killed, six of whom were parents. Shlomo Aviad Naiman, 31, left behind four children: Haggai (12), Tzuriya (9), Carmi (8), and Rafael (4). Mordechai Chaim Amoyal, 42, left behind six children. Shmuel Harari, 35, left behind three children. Guy Idan left behind two daughters, Libi (17) and Avishag (13). Dan Maury, 43, left behind two sons. Omri Lotan, 47, left behind two daughters and a son, Mika, Gaya, and Amit.
Aside from the tragic addition of many orphans to the circle of bereavement in just one day, October 2024 has been the most challenging month in the conflict since December 2023, when 114 people were killed. In fact, this month has been the deadliest in the war since the beginning of the year, with 69 fatalities from operational activities, rocket, and UAV attacks, and terrorist incidents. Since the start of the ground maneuver in Lebanon about a month ago, on September 30, 27 soldiers have been killed, 5 of them in the last 24 hours.
Guy Idan was laid to rest: “You are the salt of the earth, my beloved son”
On Friday, in the military section of the cemetery at Kibbutz Shomrat, Sgt. Major (Res.) Guy Idan, a 51-year-old resident of the kibbutz, was laid to rest. He was killed on Thursday by a projectile explosion near a structure in the central sector of southern Lebanon. “If there is a definition for the term ‘salt of the earth,’ it’s you, my beloved son,” eulogized his father, Yigal. His 17-year-old daughter, Libi Idan, added, “How do you process something like this? I need you more than ever.”
Guy’s father described him as someone who was “always giving and doing for everyone,” and recounted how he refused to forgo volunteering for reserve duty. Guy’s mother, Rachel Sela, eulogized him as well, describing him as “a great man with an even greater heart, always volunteering and giving of himself.” She recalled the moment he left for reserves and how she asked him “not to be a hero,” adding, “I never thought something would happen to you. I can’t and don’t want to believe it. I am in a nightmare.”
Guy Idan was the cousin of Tzachi Idan, who was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7. “He will no longer see him return from captivity in Gaza,” wrote a family member. The family said that Guy did everything he could to bring back the abductees, both as a civilian and in the army.
Guy Idan's funeral
(Video: Gil Nechushtan)
Amir, Guy’s brother and Tzachi’s cousin, told Ynet that “Guy was a very special person, a redhead as a redhead should be. He always loved the army and security. In Kibbutz Shomrat, he established the standby squad to perfection, instilling a sense of security for all the residents. They called him for everything, even when it wasn’t his role because they knew they could rely on him. As a younger brother, I knew I had someone to rely on for everything; he always protected me and always delivered.”
“The world has lost one of its best sons”: Mordechai Amoyal was laid to rest
On Friday, Sgt. Major (Res.) Mordechai Haim Amoyal (42), a resident of Lod who fell in the battles in southern Lebanon during Simchat Torah, was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Mordechai is survived by his wife Rina and six children. “How I dreaded being in this place. Since the beginning of the war, I have watched in awe as courageous women eulogized their husbands, what strength and power,” Rina said. “The world has lost one of its best sons today. What a man you were, what presence, always at the forefront.”
She described how “you were always preoccupied with living a meaningful life. You always aspired higher, and since October 7, you didn’t have time to beat yourself up for not going south. You were a person full of depth, aspiring to the most meaningful life possible, never settling in one place. You were the best partner I could have asked for, the most attentive, the most loving, the closest. You were an amazing and diligent father to our children, a prankster, and a child at heart.”
She addressed her children, who were left without their father, saying, “It’s important for me that you know, kids, that Dad was proud of you, and there is so much of him in each of you. Everywhere you went, you were loved and significant. I want to say thank you for all the good we had together, for making me feel like a queen, for who you are.”
His daughter Shira spoke over her father’s fresh grave, saying, “You always tried to give more and more, asking what would make me come to more classes, trying to think of creative ideas to ignite our passion for Torah. You always said I didn’t have to study at school but to do something with my time—because that was you. You used every minute, listened to lessons on headphones every moment, never wasted a minute, maybe you understood even then that you need to make the most of every minute? Your connection to us as a family was important to you; you wanted to play, travel—because that was you.”
His daughter Ayana also eulogized, saying, “My dad, I remember he was always there for me. He was loved and beloved, he was always there for us. I already miss you, Dad.” His young son added, “I remember your last visit home, how proud you were of us for building the sukkah by ourselves, just as you were proud last year when we dismantled it ourselves. Thank you for everything, Dad.”
Shlomo was laid to rest: “It’s hard to imagine life without you”
On Friday, Sgt. 1st Class (Res.) Shlomo Aviad Naiman (31) from Mitzpe Yeriho was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He is survived by his parents, 12 siblings, his wife Shir, and four children. “I can’t believe this really happened to us. We have so many dreams yet to fulfill together. A man of dreams, a man of vision. Our home, which you worked so hard to build and still haven’t finished,” eulogized his wife. “Our beloved children who need you so much. And I, who don’t know what life is without you. We’ve been together since I was 16. I knew from the start you were mine and I was yours.”
His brother Amichai added, “It’s hard to imagine life without you. You always jumped to volunteer for every task, and everything was always done with joy. In the office, he was defined as the COO, but in practice, he was everything no one else would do, no matter what the task was. For him, the motto was to do what was needed, quietly.” He said, “We promise to continue your kindness, desires, aspirations, and dreams—with lots of positive activity, charity, and kindness. We will take care of your heroic wife Shir and the children.”
Yehudit, his sister, eulogized, saying, “On the eve of the holiday, I sat in the sukkah and felt something bad. I thought it was a feeling you get after what we all went through last year. I wrote about it on my phone, and today I saw it was exactly at five, when we parted from you. I realized that’s what it feels like to lose a brother. How will the world go on without you? I know you did it because you are invincible. We are an unbeatable nation, thanks to you and all the heroes.”
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