Over 11 Years Later: Hadar Goldin, H’yd, Is Brought To Kever Yisrael

Thousands of Israelis attended the levaya of Hadar Goldin, H’yd, in Kfar Saba on Tuesday morning following the return of his body to Israel on Sunday.

Goldin was killed in battle in Rafah, and his body was abducted by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. His family fought a fierce battle for over 11 years to bring their son to kever Yisrael

The levaya began at 10:00 a.m. at the military cemetery in Kfar Saba. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Givati Commander Col. Netanel Shamaka spoke and tearful hespedim were then delivered by his parents, siblings, former kallah Eden Sarusi. Family friend and popular Israeli singer Idan Amedi then spoke and sang the song Nigmar.

Simcha Goldin repeated what he said about his son at his first levaya 11 years earlier (after the Military Rabbanut determined his death): “Hadar never swore, and he didn’t allow his soldiers to use swear words. I ask that you behave accordingly, and there will be a little more Hadar (majesty) in our daily lives. Walk the straight path and above all, don’t hate one another.”

He added that Hadar used to say a tefillah every day (Adaraba) to see “the maalos of his friends and not their flaws,” and asked Am Yisrael to act in accordance.

“Hadar asked his mother to teach him to sew and then sewed the words ‘Oz V’Anava’ (courage and humility) himself. He was a Jewish warrior.”

“In the past 11 years, we abandoned Hadar in enemy captivity. We became addicted to honor, money, and power, and we forgot the source of our being. We failed to convince Israeli society, which abandoned the fallen, until the October 7 massacre.”

His brother Chemi mentioned Hadar’s favorite sefer, Mesilas Yesharim, saying that “when we had nothing to bury 11 years ago, we buried the Mesilas Yesharim.”

His twin brother Tzur said, “Hamas’s kidnapping terror is terror aimed at families, intended to fracture Israeli society made up of families. To set the interest of one family against society as a whole, to make us choose who is worth more and who is worth less, to make us choose one value and reject another, to tear us apart from within. Our victory in this war—all of us—is that the banner of Israeli society is: we do not abandon one another; we leave no one behind.”