A new memorial honoring fallen soldiers of the Givati Brigade was opened to the public this week at Metzudat Yoav, the brigade's heritage site in southern Israel's Yoav Regional Council.
The memorial carries a deep personal connection for Shalom Sarel, the project's structural engineer and one of its key planners. Sarel is the father of the late Major Bnaya Sarel, commander of the Givati Reconnaissance Company, who was killed on August 1, 2014, during a battle on the outskirts of Rafah in Operation Protective Edge, alongside Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sergeant Liel Gidoni. Bnaya was 27 years old when he fell in combat and was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major.
Photo: Ofer Ivri, KKL-JNF Spokespersons Unit
At the center of the site are glass memorial walls bearing the names of Givati soldiers who fell in service to the State of Israel. The memorial includes a dedicated information screen featuring details about the fallen soldiers, an additional display screen, and a specially designed lighting system that illuminates the glass panels from below. A ceremonial plaza has also been constructed adjacent to the memorial walls for bereaved families, soldiers, and visitors.
The memorial honors Givati soldiers who have fallen throughout the brigade's history and provides a permanent place of remembrance for families, fellow soldiers, and future generations.
The project was completed at an estimated cost of approximately NIS 3.5 million (roughly $1 million) through a partnership between Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the Givati Brigade Heritage Association.
Chairman of KKL-JNF Eyal Ostrinsky said: "The memorial wall at Metzudat Yoav reflects our deep commitment to preserving the memory of the fallen and honoring their families. The fact that a bereaved father played a central role in creating this site gives the project extraordinary human significance. This is a place where remembrance is not only engraved in stone or glass, but one that will continue to speak to future generations."
Itzhak Levit, Chairman of the Givati Brigade Heritage Association , said: "We are proud to inaugurate the memorial wall at the Givati Brigade Memorial and Heritage Center at Metzudat Yoav. The project was born out of a desire to commemorate, in a unique way, all fallen soldiers of the Givati Brigade throughout its history, and to give tangible expression to the obligation to remember and pass on the legacy of Givati fighters who fell in defense of the State of Israel. We thank the Chairman of KKL-JNF and his team for their wholehearted commitment to the success of this project."