Only two hours separated today the memorial service for Sergeant Amir Eyal and the funeral of Captain Eliav Chaim Tspelmos. In the same military cemetery in Haifa one Friday, 20 meters apart, we gathered to remember a fallen soldier and two hours later, we escorted another officer to rest. It was one of the most difficult funerals I have attended in many years. It ends for me a week in which pain was present in so many places in the city.
The week opened on Sunday evening at the Congress Center, with the "Paths of Light" memorial event, marking three years since October 7 and the Iron Swords War. Bereaved families and residents gathered for an evening of songs, stories, and remembrance. At the end of the week, after Eliav's funeral, the thought of that evening hurts even more.
Later in the week, a ceremony was held at the military cemetery to commemorate the fallen of the destroyer AHI Eilat, immediately followed by a memorial service for Captain (res.) Amit Hayut of Neve Sha'anan. Later that day, a memorial ceremony was held in Kiryat Eliezer, near the neighborhood monument. From the cemetery to the heart of the residential neighborhood, the memory is also present in the streets and houses from which the fallen departed.
The next day, the memorial ceremony for the fallen of the October 7th Shiv was held in Hadar by "Yad Ezer Chavre." Later in the day, we gathered for a memorial service for Major Ariel Ben Moshe, a squadron commander in Sayeret Matkal, who fell in battle. At each of these gatherings, we met families who bear the loss every day.
In the evening, a demonstration against the government was held in Sefer Square, demanding change and accountability. At the same time, a "Runners and Remember" event was held at Dado Beach. A protest was heard in the square, and people gathered on the promenade to commemorate the fallen with a joint run. Each of the events had its own purpose, and both were part of Haifa's face this week: alongside mourning and remembrance, there was also the need to get out of the house, meet others, and take action.
Then, the news came of the fall of another officer from Haifa: Captain Eliav Chaim Tspelmos, 21 years old, a combat officer in the 603rd Battalion of the 7th Brigade, who fell during operational activity in southern Lebanon. We accompanied him to his resting place.
Just a short time earlier, we had stood at the memorial service for Amir Eyal. The transition from there to Eliav's funeral was particularly difficult. Within hours, we met a family marking the anniversary of a loved one's death and a family that had just lost a son. This closeness illustrated how much loss continues to be a part of the city's life.
This weekend, my thoughts return to the families. To those we met at the memorials and to Eliav's family, whose mourning is just beginning. After all the ceremonies and gatherings, I also think about the days ahead: the need to stay in touch, to be interested, and to be present in their lives beyond the days of remembrance.
The crowd disperses, the families are left with the missing. I wish we knew how to stay by their side even on days when there is no ceremony. We arrive at the memorial, stand by their side, and then return to our daily lives. For them, the longing continues even after the ceremony ends.
