Amichai Oster

Sgt. First Class (res.) Amichai Yisrael Yehoshua Oster, 24, from Karnei Shomron, of the 5th Brigade’s 7020th Battalion, was killed fighting in Gaza on January 1, 2024.

He was buried on January 2 in Karnei Shomron.

He is survived by his parents, Marcy and Dr. Howard Oster, and his siblings Sara, Emunah, Tova and Yonatan. His mother, Marcy Oster, is a longtime journalist who worked for many years at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and now works for Ynet.

Oster, a dual US-Israeli citizen who was born in Cleveland, was traveling in the US when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and immediately cut his trip short and got on a plane to join his reserves brigade.

At his funeral, his mother said that her son had been “determined to serve his country.”

“Amichai did indeed rush here to fight for his country and for all of us,” she continued.

“He was here doing exactly what he wanted to be doing. He died doing what he came home to do. And now he will remain forever frozen in your memories as a beautiful, brave, caring young man. A quiet hero,” she said.

She said that Amichai was always curious about the world, and “his interests spanned music, art, science, photography, animals, plants, decorating cakes. He loved his travels both far and near, and he loved this land, all of it. He planned to complete the Shvil Yisrael [Israel Trail] and he planned to go back to the US and complete his travels, including the Grand Canyon, before he started university.”

At the same time, she said, “he loved home, the couch, the big ugly chair in his room.”

His father said, “when I think of words that describe you, a few come to mind: humility, modesty, excellence, integrity, commitment, happiness and fun.”

His brother, Yonatan, said at his funeral, “I lost more than a brother. I lost one of my best friends… We did things together not just because we were brothers, but because we had fun together.”
Source: The Times of Israel