Supt. Stas Sheinkman, 40: Counter-terror cop was family’s ‘iron man’

Supt. Stanislav “Stas” Sheinkman, 40, a member of the Israel Police’s Yamam counter-terrorism unit, from Be’er Yaakov, was killed on October 7 battling the Hamas invasion of southern Israel.

At 5:30 a.m. that morning, Stas was called up to the front line, part of a small group of officers in the elite Yamam counter-terror unit who were alerted by the Shin Bet ahead of the attack and sent out to investigate.

Stas, who was the unit’s point person to coordinate with the military, met with a group of officers and handed them weapons before then heading toward the Re’im base, the headquarters of the IDF’s Gaza Division.

He made it only to the gate of Kibbutz Re’im, at 7:50 a.m., footage shows. There he engaged in a gun battle with two pickup trucks of Hamas gunmen and was slain in the fighting.

Stas was buried in Rishon Lezion on October 11. He is survived by his wife, Alona, their three children, Bar, 8, Leo, 5, and Mila, 2, his father Igor and his siblings.

Born in Russia, Stas moved to Israel with his family in 1997 when he was a teenager.

He joined Yamam in 2006, had a degree in criminology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and had also pursued Judaic studies at the Ono Academic College.

Stas served for 17 years in Yamam, in a number of different roles: “During his service he took part in many operational activities, some very complicated and dangerous,” wrote the unit in a eulogy. “They led to the thwarting of terror attacks, neutralizing and arresting terrorists and saving the lives of many Israelis.”

“Stas was a moral, professional and dedicated fighter and commander, a man of unflinching truth with a sense of mission and belief in the justness of the cause,” the eulogy continued. “A professional with respect and reverence for the profession of warriors. A pedant down to the tiniest details, a true friend, a brother in arms and an incredible family man.”

The One Million Lobby, an organization of Russian-speaking Israelis, noted that Stas “went through a challenging aliyah process which led to difficulties with the language and his studies, until during his army service he found his place and his calling as a fighter.”

During his time in the Border Police he “uncovered the talent that lay within him – to be the first to every incident, always charging ahead and being there for others even if it came at great personal risk.”

The organization said Stas “was a sensitive and generous man who was all heart, with a warm and unforgettable voice, who was a support and shoulder for his family and many friends, and made sure to be present and supportive at all stages of their lives, despite the nature of his work.”

Stas’s sister-in-law, Marina Karalov, wrote online to “Stas, our iron man, the man who could do anything, a true mensch, the perfect husband to my sister and a perfect father to my nieces and nephews. You were their whole world, they worshipped the ground you walked on and on the flip side they were your whole world.”

Marina added that there “are not enough words to describe this connection, you were a true team and you built an incredible family together… those who knew you were privileged, and those you didn’t lost out.”

His wife, Alona, wrote on Facebook marking a year since he was killed: “A year without you, my heart. We miss you so much.”

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