“The easy solution is to stay in bed, cry and be sad the whole day, but our sons and daughters wouldn’t want us to do that,” Gilanit Amar, the mother of Staff Sgt. Regev Amar, 20, who fell in battle on Oct. 7, told JNS on Monday.
“Our children didn’t die for nothing. As a Jewish nation, we have to get up every morning and show our strength. This war isn’t ending anytime soon. We need our young people to be strong and we must lead by example,” she added.
Last Thursday, the Amar family marked 11 months since Regev’s death by gathering for a memorial in Sde Nehemia, the kibbutz in northern Israel where he was born and raised.
“We live in a war zone, but there were still over 400 people at the ceremony. It shows how many people loved him and wanted to honor him,” said Gilanit.
Prior to Hamas’s invasion, Regev, who was also a U.S. citizen, had been serving in the Israel Defense Forces for a year and a half. On Oct. 7, Regev was serving in the 101st Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade when he was called to defend southern cities under assault by the terror group.
On their way south, his unit engaged terrorists at three different junctions. In one of the battles, they saved a French tourist from the hands of Hamas. Eventually, they reached Kibbutz Kissufim, where Regev was killed.
“Three days later, a soldier who was with him and was injured came to our house and told us what happened. He said that when they went into the kibbutz, they were separated into two groups,” Gilanit recounted.
“The commanders were hit and couldn’t fight. Five of his friends had been killed. Regev was right at the front and saw where the terrorists were shooting from. Although he was injured, he told his friends not to come near him because he knew they would get hit. He saved their lives,” she continued.
“The battle lasted a long time. While Hamas terrorists were shooting at him, members of the community were able to escape,” she added.
Gilanit described her son as a devoted Zionist who loved the Land of Israel.
“Often, young people who complete their army service travel to South America or the Far East. Regev always said that before traveling the world, we must get to know Israel inside and out,” she explained.
“Every time he came home, he would take a backpack, call his friends and go travel through the Galilee. Everyone wanted to be around him,” she said.
Before enlisting in the IDF, Regev volunteered for a year as a tour guide, teaching high school students about the Negev and Dead Sea.
Gilanit said that six months before Oct. 7, Regev had voiced his concern about a looming war in the north.
“When he became a paratrooper, he was posted to Har Dov, close to the border with Lebanon. He came home one day and said we would soon have a war with Hezbollah and that we were not ready,” she told JNS.
“He told me that when he died, he wanted us to remember him not with memorials but by doing things, by helping people,” she continued.
In Israel, news of a soldier’s death is delivered to the family in person by three commanders.
“Since he told me that, I knew someone would come and knock on our door to tell us,” said Gilanit.
Two weeks ago, the Upper Galilee Leadership Institute, which offers programs to local and international youth seeking to deepen their connection to Israel and Zionist values, opened a branch in Sde Nehemia named Derech Regev in his memory.
Forty-six students have enrolled to date. In their first week of the program, participants built their own beds and volunteered in the community. The second week, they took part in a first aid course and are currently on their first hiking trip in northern Israel.
“We thought the best way to remember Regev was by teaching people the true meaning of Judaism and Zionism, how to be better people, how to be good civilians who help others,” said Gilanit.
Avishag Betser, the branch’s manager, told JNS that the initiative isn’t only about remembrance but also about instilling in others Regev’s values, including the importance of never giving up.
“This is the first time we’ve partnered with the family of a fallen soldier, it’s very unique,” she said.
“Regev was a true hero. He saved his friends’ lives at the price of his own. It’s a special time, after Oct. 7, to come to Israel, to be part of the Jewish people, especially in the north,” she continued.
“People are still living, the communities need help. Come get a really meaningful life experience while doing something for the greater good.”
