Matak Ekstein, z”l

Sergeant First Class (Res.) Matan Eckstein, the son of Miri and Erez and the beloved younger brother of Maayan, Dana, and Nir, grew up in Even Yehuda. He was a fourth-generation descendant of the town's founders – a radiant and beautiful child, inside and out, with a disarming smile and a huge heart. An outstanding student, he was friendly, involved, curious, and caring, always eager to help and volunteer.

Matan brought love, joy, and light into the lives of everyone around him. He was a true friend who knew how to listen, encourage, strengthen, and give advice – a cheerful, vibrant young man, with contagious and captivating laughter.

Matan’s great love was the sea. He surfed, taught others to surf, and spent countless hours in the water. He always found time to catch waves, even before school and during his army leave. He also traveled the world in search of waves.

Matan was a devoted, loving, and beloved son, brother, grandson, brother-in-law, and uncle who cherished family gatherings. He even spent the last night of his life at a family get-together.

Matan enlisted in the Engineering Corps, in the elite Yahalom unit, in November 2018. He was a respected soldier, admired by his friends, commanders, and comrades. After completing his military service, he traveled to Central America on a surfing trip. As always, Matan embraced life fully, gathering experiences and making sure every moment was filled with meaning and depth.

Matan had many dreams. He was about to begin studying electrical engineering at Ben-Gurion University.

On October 7, 2023, Simchat Torah 5784, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack on Israel. Under the cover of barrages of thousands of rockets, thousands of armed terrorists crossed the border into Israel, infiltrating cities and taking control of communities, outposts, bases, and open-air parties. The terrorists murdered about 800 civilians and abducted hundreds of Israelis to the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of security personnel fell in the battles. Following the attack, Israel entered a state of war. During the attack, Matan was with friends at the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re’im. When the rockets began to fall, Matan and his friends sought shelter. They found a roadside bomb shelter and entered it, but soon an armed terrorist squad arrived. Matan and his friend Sela Ma’agan stepped out of the shelter in an attempt to draw the terrorists’ fire from the others. Two of Matan’s other friends, Addir Mesika and Ilay Nachman, charged at the terrorists with their bare hands.

On October 7, 2023, Matan was murdered. He was 23 years old. His dear friends, Ilay and Addir, were murdered with him. Sela was critically wounded but survived. Through their heroism, the four saved the lives of the civilians who were in the shelter. Matan was laid to rest in the cemetery of Even Yehuda, alongside his friends. Matan believed that “if you’re going to do something, make it as meaningful as possible” and that “every day is a dream come true.”

May his memory be blessed.