Staff Sgt. Or Malka, 21: Blended army service with working at daycare

Staff Sgt. Or Malka, 21, a COGAT soldier from Acre, was killed on October 7 battling the Hamas invasion of southern Israel.

He was stationed on base next to the Erez Crossing that morning, and with the start of the rocket fire entered the on-base bomb shelter, where he video called his girlfriend to tell her what was going on. Not long afterward, Sgt. Emil Samoylov, who had been stationed on guard at the gate, entered the bomb shelter already wounded from a firefight by the Hamas gunmen who had stormed across the crossing point into Israel.

Or, Emil and Cpl. Lidor Mekayes were slain when the Hamas invaders attacked the shelter. Cpl. Nik Beizer and Sgt. Ron Sherman were kidnapped and later killed in Gaza, their bodies recovered by IDF troops, while Tamir Nimrodi, a soldier who was taken captive with Nik and Ron, is believed to still be held hostage in Gaza.

Or was buried on October 13 in Nahariya. He is survived by his parents, Dganit and Yosef, his siblings Idan, Gal and Aviv, and his girlfriend, Shay Lee.

Born and raised in Acre, Or was the youngest in the family, after three older brothers, all of whom had a big impact on his life, according to an Acre municipal obituary. As a kid he was a bit of a prankster, especially during his “dumb teenage years,” according to his loved ones, and took great care in his appearance, always seeking out the new popular attire and accessories.

When Or met his girlfriend, Shay Lee Eno, he changed a lot of his behaviors, his parents said, becoming more considerate, more concerned with being financially independent and ultimately moving in with her family and working with them.

He enlisted in the IDF in February 2022 and served as a cook at the base next to the Erez Crossing. His family wrote that “Or really enjoyed being a cook on base, he loved to pamper the combat support soldiers and everyone on base, when he would come home he’d show off his skills with the schnitzels he would make for them and for us.”

Or’s military schedule had him spending a week on base and a week off, and during the off periods he worked with Shay Lee’s mother in her daycare center, “changing diapers, hugging, stroking, educating and being sensitive to the toddlers.”

His girlfriend, Shay Lee, told Maariv that the pair met when she was just 13, and he ended up moving in with her family after she turned 14.

“Or was a good soul, just an angel,” she said. “He worked with me and my mom at daycare, he had a connection to every person. Everywhere he went he would spread his light. He always made sure things were good for everyone, that there was never anything lacking at home or in our relationship.”

Shay Lee added that Or “always made sure I was OK, that I wouldn’t worry. That’s what he also did in his final moments, tried to calm me down and said, ‘Don’t worry, everything’s OK.'”

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