Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
For nearly 30 years, the kindergarten in Jerusalem’s Rassco neighborhood was known as Gan HaVradim (Garden of Roses) or Gan Ilana, named after longtime teacher Ilana Nakash. Last year, following the death of 21-year-old Staff Sergeant Shachar Fridman in Gaza, Ilana — who had been his kindergarten teacher — decided to rename the school in his honor.
"Shachar loved the sandbox," she recalled. "He would run around and play. He was loved by everyone and a friend to all."
On Tuesday, as part of Good Deeds Day, Shachar’s father, Doron, and his grandmother, Eti, visited the kindergarten to renovate its garden, plant a tree and grow herbs. "It gives us strength," Doron said. "Seeing the children here is emotional. This is true remembrance — they’re growing up in Shachar’s light and his legacy carries on."
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Just before he was killed in Gaza, Shachar saved the life of Capt. Yair Lipshitz, who had also attended Ilana’s kindergarten. Yair’s unit had come under heavy fire and he was critically wounded. Shachar and his commander, Jamal, rushed from their position to reach the building where the injured soldiers lay.
"Yair is alive today because of Shachar," Doron said. "It all connects back to Ilana and her incredible spirit. The tree we’re planting today is dedicated to Yair, who, through immense strength, recovered — and even became a father to a baby girl."
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion called the visit "an emotional moment" that honored Shachar’s memory while reinforcing the values of community service and giving.