‘You will forever remain 30’: Soldier Nitai Meisels, killed in Gaza, laid to rest
At ceremony attended by hundreds, family say reservist soldier didn’t tell them he was involved in the fighting to keep them from worrying about his safety
Hundreds attended the funeral of IDF Master Sgt. (res.) Nitai Meisels on Monday, a day after he was killed in the Gaza Strip, with his family members saying he hadn’t told them he was taking part in the fighting to shield them from worrying about him.
Meisels, 30, of the 14th Armored Brigade, was killed along with Maj. (res.) Aryeh Rein, 39, by an anti-tank guided missile on Sunday in northern Gaza.
Born in Baltimore during a family relocation to the US for his father’s postdoctoral fellowship, Meisels was laid to rest in his hometown of Rehovot.
In attendance was former education minister Rafi Peretz, the head of the Atzmona pre-military academy Meisels had attended before his enlistment.
“Until yesterday I had thought Nitai wasn’t among the heroes — he was simply Nitush, why would he be a hero? — but since last night, we have have known he too is among the heroes,” mourned his mother, Ayala.
“In the past few weeks, the mixture of fighting and being at the home front was difficult for you. I really wanted you to tell us what you were going through, and you chose not to,” she added. “Because of the war, we canceled the 30th birthday celebrations we had planned for you, and now you will forever remain 30 years old.”
His father, Eitan, said: “Nitai didn’t tell us what he was doing in the war because he didn’t want to make us worry. He was, from day one, fighting non-stop… in a very dangerous unit.”
“God gives, God takes away,” Eitan said.
Nitai’s sister Adi said he had told the family that he was with a logistics force, helping repair tanks, and that he couldn’t answer their calls and messages due to faulty reception. She added that she had been waiting to “dance at your wedding” and imagined him as an authoritative yet funny dad.
“In our last Shabbat together, a week and a half ago, you said graveyards are full of irreplaceable people,” said Adi. “I want to tell you that you can’t be replaced. For instance, who will take the nephews on special hikes? Who will tickle the nephews with such patience? I’m sorry, Nitai. I am your older sister, who is supposed to protect you. Instead of me protecting you, you protected all of us and fought for us.
“We found out what a lion king you were, how much [everyone] loved you, relied on you, and their really is no replacement for you,” Adi said. “Watch over us, over the soldiers and the hostages, and give us strength to get through this nightmare.”
War erupted on October 7 when the Hamas terror group carried out a massive terror attack on Israel that killed over 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Thousands of terrorist who invaded across the border from the Gaza Strip also abducted at least 240 people who were taken as hostages into the Palestinian enclave.
Israel responded with a military campaign, including a ground incursion, to destroy Hamas, remove it from power in Gaza, and release the hostages.
