Those we have lost

Sgt. Ilay Bar Sadeh, 19: Golani soldier who was ‘hungry for life’

Killed battling the Hamas attack on the Yiftah IDF outpost on October 7

Sgt. Ilay Bar Sadeh (IDF)
Sgt. Ilay Bar Sadeh (IDF)

Sgt. Ilay Bar Sadeh, 19, a soldier in the Golani Brigade, from Ramat Gan, was killed on October 7 fighting the Hamas attack on the Yiftah IDF outpost.

Ilay was stationed at the base that morning, next to Zikim, and was awakened by the sirens which marked the start of the war. When he heard the gunfire, Ilay headed to the main gate of the base to join the battle against the Hamas invaders, according to an IDF eulogy.

He refused to leave the position even when his commander told him to, and continued to battle against the Hamas gunmen until he was shot and killed in the fighting.

Ilay was slain defending the gate to the IDF outpost alongside a number of other soldiers, including Staff Sgt. Yuval Ben Yakov, Cpl. Naama Bony, Staff Sgt. Ido Harush, Lt. Yoav Malayev and Sgt. Nathanel Young.

He was buried in Tel Aviv on October 9. He is survived by his parents, Limor and Uzi, and his brother Omri.

Born and raised in Ramat Gan, Ilay attended local schools, focusing his studies on biology and business. He loved sports, and played basketball and soccer as well as surfing and running. He was also a devoted fan of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer and basketball teams.

Ilay loved nature, music and art, and taught himself how to play the classical guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and even an electric organ.

After graduating high school, Ilay traveled to Colombia and then Sri Lanka, before returning to Israel and enlisting in the IDF in December 2022, joining Golani.

“He was a talented boy, hardworking, hungry for life,” his mother, Limor, told the Kan public broadcaster. “He loved people, loved nature, music, art, he was an excellent sprinter, was an athlete in other sports, a musician, he taught himself three different types of guitars, also the piano.”

Limor described him as “a perfect boy – that’s how I feel. All the people who came to the shiva here – I see that I had so much more to learn about him. It will take a long time for me, as a mom, to learn and to understand more things about my son, the incredible, totally perfect, kind soul, a seeker of peace, who loved justice – and so much more.”

His childhood friend, Eylon Levi, wrote online about their memories together from preschool through middle and high school: “I was privileged to be by your side for almost all of life.”

Eylon said Ilay “taught me so much, you taught me that there can always be happiness even when things are bad. You had a different way of looking at things, you always found the good, always smiling, you were pure, you only had good intentions.”

Ilay would “make everyone laugh, was full of hope and took things lightly… I think everyone can learn from you, about your perspective, your courage, your endless joy.”

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