Yaakov Hershkowitz, a Haredi soldier from the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, shared on social media a personal memory from last year’s Passover Seder – a holiday evening he spent on an operational mission in Gaza, during which his fellow battalion member, tracker Staff Sergeant (Res.) Salem Al-Karishat z”l, was killed.
“I want to talk about last year’s Seder”
“This was my second Seder away from home. Once again this year, I had the privilege of carrying out a meaningful operational mission with my battalion – but I want to talk about the Seder night from last year,” wrote Hershkowitz.
That holiday evening, the battalion took part in an assault operation in Gaza. During the battle, Al-Karishat – a dedicated tracker and father of 12 – was killed. Just a week earlier, he had celebrated the birth of another daughter. Even though he was entitled to remain home on paternity leave, he chose to join the operation.
“He said – if the battalion is in combat, I’m with them. No matter what,” said Hershkowitz. “The assault ended at three in the morning. We sat down to the holiday Seder with heavy hearts. One of us wasn’t there. He stayed behind.”
Staff Sergeant Salem Al-Karishat z”l, who was an inseparable part of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion and fought shoulder to shoulder with its soldiers, remains a symbol of dedication and brotherhood – a bond that goes beyond divisions of religion and community.
