1st Sgt. (res.) Yoram Levy

Apr 9, 2002 - 1st Sgt. (res.) Yoram Levy, 33, of Elad was one of thirteen IDF soldiers killed and seven injured in the Jenin refugee camp by Palestinian terrorists. An IDF patrol of reserve soldiers was ambushed in a narrow alleyway in the camp by a number of explosive devices and gunfire from the rooftops of surrounding buildings (Operation Defensive Shield).

1st Sgt. (res.) Yoram Levy was born in Moshav Kadima to a national religious family. He attended the ORT High School in Netanya. He served in the IDF in the Givati Brigade. After his army service, he studied chemistry and engineering in the Rubin Academy and worked in the pharmaceutical factory Teva when he was killed. Three years ago, he moved to Elad.

Yoram received his emergency call to reserve duty on the Sabbath and asked for permission to wait until the end of the day to report for duty. "Yoram supported the operation, saying, 'it is better that there be a war now than that people will continue to be killed in the streets,'" said his wife. "I objected to his doing the reserve duty but he said, 'if I refuse to go, and everybody else refuses to go, who will guard us?'"

1st Sgt. (res.) Yoram Levy was buried in Segula cemetery in Petah Tikva. He leaves behind his pregnant Rachel and three children, Eden 7, Adi 5 and Yoav 2.