Staff Sgt. Tzvi Tzvika Katz

Staff Sergeant Tzvi (Tzvika) Katz, son of Lea and Yitzhak, was born in Tel Aviv. A blue-eyed, golden-curled baby, he brought great joy to his parents, Holocaust survivors and new immigrants, and became a source of pride and comfort for them.

Tzvika began his studies at the “Yehuda HaMaccabi” elementary school. Later, the family moved to Bat Yam, and Tzvika completed his studies at the “Nachshonim” elementary school in the city. A gifted child with “golden hands,” he chose to study mechanical metalwork at the ORT Holon vocational school, while also completing his matriculation exams through the Israeli Institute of Correspondence Studies.

Tzvika possessed rare leadership skills. He did everything with gentle kindness. A charming and sociable young man, he was an active member of the Gadna youth corps and excelled in singing, dancing, and playing the guitar. He was also good at sports and worked as a lifeguard.

Family was important to Tzvika. He grew up in a warm and loving home and was a devoted son to his parents. He had one sister, and another was born after he fell. He always tried to bring joy to his family through song, music, and good deeds, and to give his parents the sense that they could rely on him.

In February 1975, Tzvika was drafted into the IDF's Combat Engineering Corps. He completed the Undercover Infantry Unit Course, the Sappers Course, the Squad Leaders’ Course, and the NCO Course. He was always the first to volunteer and the first to lend a hand. When his company commander was injured during a march, it was Tzvika who volunteered to carry him on his back for 15 kilometers. Even when offered the position of unit NCO (a senior command role without being an officer), Tzvika declined, saying he could not bring himself to be harsh to recruits. A medical board recommended easing his service due to a kidney condition that was discovered, but he refused and insisted on remaining a combat soldier.

Tzvika was later transferred to the Air Force's bomb disposal unit, where he became a professional, respected, and beloved fighter. His commander said: “Tzvi was made of the same material as the very best among us… Our unit’s daily activities are dangerous, demanding maximum effort and composure, and they reveal a person’s true character immediately, for better or worse. Tzvi proved himself to be one of the most remarkable.”

On his final mission, Tzvika and a fellow soldier went out to clear an IDF training area of unexploded ordnance left over from the Yom Kippur War. In his actions, he risked his life to save the lives of others.

On January 21, 1976, Tzvika fell in an operation to clear ordnance in the Sinai area. He was 19.5 years old. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Holon. His commander said: “Tzvi perished in the course of an operation which, by its very nature, is an act of sacrifice for the sake of others. He understood the meaning of his work, yet volunteered for the mission that day.”

May his memory be blessed.