IDF Soldier Befriends Holocaust Survivor, Then Falls in Combat

When 25-year-old Omri Ben Shachar asked to volunteer with a Holocaust survivor, he wasn't looking for recognition. He was a paratrooper, a Scout leader, and an athlete who simply wanted to give back.

The Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims matched him with Moshe Adler, an 82-year-old born in a Ukrainian labor camp. Moshe's childhood had been shadowed by an unbearable discovery: his father's first wife and four children were murdered in the Holocaust, a fact his family never discussed.

What started as weekly visits became genuine friendship. Omri and Moshe played backgammon, attended theater performances, and shared meals. The 57-year age gap disappeared in their laughter and long conversations.

For Moshe, Omri represented something precious: continuity, family, belonging. For Omri, these moments were simply how you showed up for others.

On December 8, 2023, during Hanukkah, Omri was killed in combat in Khan Younis, Gaza. When Moshe heard the news, he broke down and told Omri's father, Reuven, "You lost a son. I lost a grandson."

Why This Inspires

Moshe's words reveal a truth about human connection that transcends volunteer forms and scheduled visits. True friendship doesn't require blood relation, just genuine care.

Since Omri's death, his twin brother Nadav has continued visiting Moshe. The bond hasn't broken; it's simply passed to the next generation, like a torch that refuses to go out.

About 109,000 Holocaust survivors live in Israel today, with an average age of 88. Many face loneliness and renewed trauma from recent conflicts. Programs matching young volunteers with survivors don't just combat isolation; they create families.

Omri's legacy isn't written in medals or monuments. It lives in every Tuesday afternoon Nadav spends with Moshe, in every game of backgammon, in every conversation that reminds an 82-year-old man that he matters, that he's not alone, that someone considers him family.