Master Sgt. Tal Filiba, z”l

Master Sergeant (Res.) Tal Filiba, the eldest son of Dorit and Haim, only brother to Ofir, and partner of Shaked, was born and raised in Rehovot. A blond, intelligent boy, full of charm and light, he was the sun of his family and friends.

Tal studied at the Shprinzak Elementary School and the Aharon Katzir Education Campus. He was an outstanding student who loved to learn and explore any subject. Tal grew into a young man who was opinionated, sensitive, and principled. A people person, generous by nature, he listened to everyone, helped everyone, and gave each person his full attention. At school, he met Shaked, and at age 16, the two became a couple.

Tal had played basketball since childhood. He first played for Maccabi Rehovot, and later for the basketball clubs Hapoel Kfar HaOranim and Maccabi Ashdod. On the court, as in life, Tal was a leader who inspired and drew everyone along with him.

At 18, just before he enlisted in the IDF, Tal injured his knee. He did not give up. He postponed his enlistment to undergo surgery, recover, and rehabilitate, ultimately fulfilling his dream of joining an elite unit.

In March 2019, Tal enlisted in the IDF's elite Yahalom Unit. He served for four years in the EOD and was a dedicated, responsible, respected, and beloved fighter.

Tal believed in doing things calmly, enjoying the present moment, and not overthinking. He was discharged from the IDF at the end of 2022 and set out to travel in South America. During the trip, he had many experiences. Along the way, he was joined by childhood friends, army comrades, and his partner, Shaked.

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, and bases. The terrorists murdered around eight hundred civilians and abducted hundreds of Israelis to the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of members of the security forces fell in the battles. 

Following the attack, Israel entered a state of war. At the time, Tal was in Honduras. He returned to Israel to join the fighting and to honor the memory of his unit comrade, Sergeant First Class Addir Mesika, who was murdered at the Nova Festival. When Tal arrived in Israel, Yahalom’s reserve unit was already at full strength. For several weeks, he took part in targeted missions in the Gaza envelope communities and in northern Gaza until he persuaded his commanders to return to Yahalom as a fighter. Tal entered southern Gaza as part of the combat teams of Duvdevan and Yahalom. He told his partner, Shaked: “This is what I enlisted for. This is what I need to do.” During the fighting, he participated in numerous complex operations that required courage, determination, and self-sacrifice.

On December 17, 2023, Tal fell in battle in southern Gaza. He was 23 years old. Tal was laid to rest in the Rehovot Military Cemetery. His friends eulogized him: “Our sun has gone out.”

May his memory be blessed.