Staff Sgt. Barak Ben David, 19: Fought to follow father into Golani

Staff Sgt. Barak Ben David, 19, a Golani Brigade soldier, from Dimona, was killed on October 7 while battling the Hamas invasion of the Nahal Oz IDF outpost.

With the start of the rocket fire, Barak and most of those on base headed for the bomb shelter. When they realized that the attack was more than just rockets, they were told to go back to their rooms and suit up in full combat gear. In an ensuing gun battle with a cell of terrorists, Barak was seriously wounded, and his comrades Staff Sgt. Nehoray Amitay and Staff Sgt. Sahar Meidani dragged him to the bomb shelter to try and save him.

Barak ultimately bled out of his wounds after several hours without any medics able to help. Nehoray and Sahar were both later killed in battle when Hamas gunmen continued to attack those inside the bomb shelter with gunfire and grenades. In all, 52 soldiers — including Barak’s close friends Staff Sgt. Ori Karmi and Staff Sgt. Adir Bogale — were killed and 10 soldiers were kidnapped from the Nahal Oz base that day.

A month later, Barak’s close childhood friend, Staff Sgt. Noam Yosef Abou, was killed while fighting in Gaza.

Barak was buried on October 12 in Dimona. He is survived by his parents, Shira and Avinoam, and his siblings Shaked, Roi and Omri.

Born and raised in Dimona, his family described him as quiet, modest and humble, a person who loved plants and flowers and put a lot of effort into tending his home’s garden. He also loved children and was always happy to spend time entertaining them, they said.

Barak dreamed of and fought to enlist in the Golani Brigade, his family said, in order to follow in his father’s footsteps. Barak was even named for the 12th battalion in which his father served. Ultimately he enlisted in March 2022 and after pushing for it was placed in Golani’s 13th battalion.

On a memorial Instagram page, his loved ones described how Barak “fought tooth and nail to get to Golani, even though they didn’t want you to, you went to the induction center with your bag ready, you fought to accomplish your goal of being a Golani fighter like your father… You were the happiest person on the day of your final basic training trek, with the brown beret on your head… you were so happy and proud of yourself.”

His sister, Shaked, told Channel 12 news that “Barak was a very unique boy. In the family we all called him ‘everyone’s big heart.’ He was always around children and loved them a lot, he was always free to help, no matter what time, to show up, to help, to assist, to his family, his friends. He was just all good, and his loss is very felt.”

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