“With the loss of each person, an entire world is lost”

On the eve of Memorial Day (April 29, 2025), the employees of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman gathered to honor the memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. 

“We carry in our hearts the stories of heroism and the legacy of the fallen, whose number from 1860 until today stands at 25,418,” said State Comptroller and Ombudsman Matanyahu Englman. “We bow our heads before you – the bereaved families: parents, widows and orphans, siblings and loved ones. Sadly, the bereaved family has grown significantly since October 7 and the Swords of Iron War.” 

Comptroller Englman paid tribute to six fallen and murdered individuals whose family members are employees of the Office. These include:
Staff Sergeant Yehonatan Samo, z”l; Captain Shilo Rauchberger, z”l; Staff Sergeant Tal Levy, z”l; and Warrant Officer (Res.) Gideon Ilani, z”l – all of whom fell in battle; Mira Shtahl, z”l, who was murdered in her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza; and Ram Shalom, z”l, who was murdered at the Nova Music Festival.

“Maimonides wrote: ‘All human beings are created in the form of Adam, and no person’s face is like that of another.’  Therefore, ‘each individual was created alone in the world.’ It follows that with the loss of every person, an entire world is lost. Each fallen soul leaves a void that can never be filled.”

“We are committed to remembering the acts of heroism of the fallen, for they are the deep roots upon which our state was built.  They sacrificed their lives so that we could continue to live here in the Land of Israel – build a life here, build a future, and build hope.” 

The Director General of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Brigadier General (Res.) Yishai Vaknin, said at the ceremony that “on this day, we bow our heads in memory of all the fallen of the IDF, the Israel Police, the Border Police, the Shin Bet, the Mossad, the Fire and Rescue Service, and all the security forces. And together with them, we remember the civilians who were harmed and killed by terror and war, as we are all part of one fabric, one people, who have chosen life.

This evening, as every year, we mark Memorial Day. And this year, Memorial Day carries a particularly somber tone.  Our national grief this evening is almost too heavy to bear.  Our land has absorbed too much blood over the past year.” 

“Again, this year, I will ask myself which cemetery to visit, and try to reach as many bereaved families as I can, just to strengthen them, to embrace them. That is the least I can do on this day.  Over the years I have visited the families of fallen soldiers I knew personally – comrades-in-arms, subordinates, and commanders.  And last year, sadly, I also visited the homes of friends who lost their loved ones in the Swords of Iron War.”

“As I came to know each of the fallen more closely, one thought kept returning to me – ‘the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children’.” Since I knew the fathers personally from their military service and was familiar with their dedication and heroism, I was not surprised to hear the stories of bravery told about their children.”

Director General Vaknin addressed Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yuval Bazak, who spoke at the ceremony about his son, Staff Sergeant Guy Bazak, z”l, who fell in battle at Kissufim on October 7: You, who were a soldier and a commander in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion – and who also served as my commander,” said Director General Vaknin,
“you raised your son Guy to follow in your footsteps as a fighter in the 51st Battalion, with that same devotion, that same sacrifice for the homeland, and that same courage and determination to engage the enemy, which he demonstrated on October 7 until his final moments. I thank you for coming here today to share your personal story with us.”