Bnaya Rubel, a 20 year old paratrooper from Holon died on Saturday, July 19th.

Staff Sergeant Rubel served in the Paratroopers 101st Battalion. He was killed during Operation ‘Protective Edge’, after a violent encounter with a terrorist who had infiltrated Israel through a tunnel.

The Sunday after his passing, Ada Rubel eulogized her youngest son.

“There are no words to describe the loss we feel today,” she said. “We so waited for your return, and instead the messengers came.”

Alongside her husband Ze’evi and three remaining sons, Tomer, Liel and Yarin, Ada spoke of her son as a “leader from birth, charismatic, a true patriot who loved his homeland.”

A native of Holon, Rubel was active in the local dance troupe and music scene. Following in the footsteps of his brothers, he was determined to serve in a combat unit, and was thrilled when he was accepted to the paratroopers.

Since the murder of three Israeli teenagers last month, the event that eventually led to the Gaza operation, Rubel had few opportunities to visit his family on the weekends.

At the funeral, they sorrowfully recalled their final visit to him on his base last week, the final hugs they shared, the sweet note of thanks he sent for the gifts and cheer they brought.

Just a few days after Rubel called his mother to tell her he would soon be going into Gaza, and to reassure her that he would be safe amid the forces, a sea of soldiers carried his coffin to its final resting place. Their vocal “amens” overwhelmed the muffled Kaddish his family recited over the grave.

A senior IDF officer praised Rubel for being like a mighty cliff, using “Tzuk Eitan”, the Hebrew name of Operation ‘Protective Edge’, to describe the soldier.

“Jewish history is repeating itself as an enemy tries to annihilate us just because we are Jews,” he added.

Bnaya Rubel was laid to rest in a Holon cemetery the Sunday after his untimely passing.