Adir Tahar

Sgt. Adir Tahar, 19, a Golani soldier from Jerusalem, was killed battling Hamas terrorists near the Erez Crossing on October 7.

He is survived by his parents, Sigal and David, and siblings Sapir, Oz and Sagi. He was buried on October 10 on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

His family revealed in December that they held a second burial ceremony after Tahar’s head, which had been taken by Hamas into Gaza after they decapitated him, was recovered by IDF soldiers in the Strip and brought back to Israel.

His father told Channel 14 that before the burial in October, he had insisted on seeing his son’s body, even though the IDF had suggested he not do so. It was only then that he discovered Adir’s head was missing. The family was relieved when soldiers were able to recover it from Gaza and place it in his grave.

Adir was remembered by his loved ones as a quiet boy who was considerate of others and dreamed of serving in Golani.

His mother, Sigal Tahar, wrote on Facebook: “Adir Tahar, a hero of Israel. My angel, the heart refuses to accept that I won’t see you and hug you again. Watch over the soldiers from above who are fighting and the hostages, so they can come home.”

A month after he was killed, his brother Sagi wrote to him on Instagram: “Today was your memorial, it’s been a month already, can you believe it? Today we got your shirt that you would wear every day with great pride, every time you would come home wearing it, and I would hug you like crazy and sniff it.

“Truthfully Adir, the longing for you only grows every day that goes by, every second, and every little thing they bring us just breaks [me] and strengthens [me],” he added. “My beautiful angel, everyone says it is good for you up there, so I am trying to believe it and live with happiness and with your beautiful smile — my hero.”

Sagi wrote that Adir would “first think of others and then about himself. He was the light of my life, he was that special thing that tells you that no matter what everything will be OK and I’m with you. He was my brother; he was my best friend!”

Over the past year, he wrote, since his brother enlisted, “I got a different Adir, an Adir who was more open, an Adir who was more embracing and loving and happy. He would do everything to make me smile, he was my other half… we could sit and look at each other and just laugh. We could have deep conversations of days without sleep… his smile and his laughter were the most beautiful things the world has shown me.”

In an interview with a local Jerusalem outlet, David described his son as “a modest boy, humble, responsible and serious,” noting that he excelled in high school “and was loved by his friends and all of the school staff.”

David said that Adir was on duty until 1 a.m. and stayed with the person who replaced him until 3 a.m. before going to sleep. At 6 a.m. they were awakened by the invasion warning “and he immediately got into uniform and flak jacket… Adir ran straight ahead with another five people and the platoon commander. Adir was a hero, and with his bravery, they took out terrorists and succeeded in protecting others.”
Source: The Times of Israel