First Sergeant Effi (Efrem) Beniacar

First Sergeant Effi (Efrem) Beniacar, son of Edmond and Theadora, younger brother of Miriam and Arielle, twin brother of Hezi, and fiancé of Noa. He was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. 

Even as a child, his curiosity and desire to learn from others made him stand out.

As a teenager, he was a gifted violinist, and music remained an integral part of his life into adulthood.

He immigrated to Israel with his brother as part of the Garin Tzabar program to enlist in the IDF. During this time, he lived in Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha.

He enlisted in November 2012 as a lone soldier and served in a combat role in the Yahalom special engineering unit’s Yael reconnaissance team. He fought in Operation Protective Edge and in 2015 received the President’s Award for Excellence.

At the end of his regular service, he signed additional time as a non-commissioned officer, serving as the head of training (Madar) of Yael.

After his release from the army, Effi volunteered with the Heroes for Life delegation in India.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy and a master’s degree in public health at Ben-Gurion University. His classmates remember his sharp wit, his willingness to help others, his willingness to volunteer and his ability lead.

Effi loved to travel in Israel and around the world, always with a camera in hand. He was an avid marathon runner who ran dozens of kilometres every week, using each run as an opportunity for deep conversation with his running partners.

He was a person who enjoyed conversation - always ready to listen, genuinely interested in others. An intelligent man who could capture the essence of any situation and give of himself selflessly.

Even before the October 2023 war, he volunteered to move from a reserve training position in the Unit to an operational role as the commander of his company’s combat medical team.

On October 7, 2023, Effi was called up for reserve duty and fought in Gaza and Lebanon in four separate deployments. His comrades describe his diligence, his pursuit of excellence, his care for friends, and his compassion for the soldiers in his medical team.

During the War, he kept a diary, recording his experiences and emotions in the face of national trauma and the long and complicated years of fighting.

On March 27, 2026, Effi fell in the line of duty during the Operation Roaring Lion. While on a short period of leave from reserve duty, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite the efforts of the medical teams, Effi passed away two weeks later. 

It was Effi’s wish to be an organ donor and after his death, he saved the lives and eyesight of six people.