Israel to launch program in memory of four fallen reservists
In Israel, in the community of Eliad in the Golan Heights, a 10-month pre-military program called “The Four” will be launched in memory of four Israel Defense Forces reservists who were killed in Gaza in November 2023. The Ma’ase Center and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs announced the launch of the initiative, The Jerusalem Post reports.
For young people before service
Young people aged 18 to 20 from traditional, religious and ultra-Orthodox communities who are preparing for military or national-civil service will be able to participate in the program. The project will be implemented by the Ma’ase Center’s Nitzotz network of preparatory programs together with the ministry.
The organizers plan to combine preparation for service with leadership training, physical training, field classes, agricultural work and volunteering in northern communities. Participants will also receive assistance with conscription and service placement procedures, as well as personal guidance to develop self-discipline, confidence and independent living skills.
The program also includes navigation exercises, hikes, other field activities and classes dedicated to Israeli identity, leadership and society. Its location in the Golan Heights is intended to support northern communities and agriculture.
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In memory of four servicemen
The program was named in honor of Reserve Major Moshe Yedidya Leiter, Reserve Sergeant Major Yossi Hershkovitz, and Reserve Staff Sergeants Sergei Shmerkin and Matan Meir. Leiter was the son of Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States.
All four served in the 697th Battalion of the 551st Brigade and were killed on November 10, 2023, when a booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded near a mosque in the Beit Hanun area of northern Gaza. According to Yaakov, the father of Yossi Hershkovitz, the initiative is intended to promote the values of responsibility, leadership, volunteering and commitment to Israeli society.
Yossi Hershkovitz, 44, headed the ORT Pelech boys’ school in Jerusalem. Matan Meir, 38, was a television producer known for his work on the Israeli series “Fauda.” Moshe Leiter, 39, commanded a reserve company, worked as a paramedic and studied medicine. Sergei Shmerkin, 32, was a reservist from Kiryat Shmona.
