Yuval Salomon, 29: Soccer lover slain a day after his birthday
Killed fighting off Hamas terrorists in his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7
Yuval “Sully” Salomon, 29, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was killed while attempting to battle a Hamas invasion of his apartment in the kibbutz on October 7.
He lived in an apartment in the youth wing of the kibbutz, and according to accounts, fought back against a Hamas terrorist who entered his home and was wounded. He was later killed when a second wave of terrorists arrived.
Yuval was buried on October 17 in Kibbutz Shefayim. He is survived by his parents, Doron and Simcha, his older siblings Yifat, Tamir and Ortal, and many nieces and nephews.
During his army service, Yuval served in the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, and the Sayeret Nahal Association recalled him as “a sociable guy, family-oriented, with a huge heart, who always wanted good for everyone, took care of all his many friends and loved to hang out and enjoy life.”
A day before he was killed, Yuval celebrated his 29th birthday at the Green Pub in Kibbutz Nir Am, a popular local institution in the Gaza border area.
The owner of Green Pub, Itay Mevorach, wrote on the Mako news site that Yuval was “the heart of the pub.”
“We don’t close the pub for events and we also don’t usually open on Friday afternoons but for Yuval we did it, because he was with us since he was a kid,” wrote Mevorach. “He came behind the bar when help was needed, poured people water, a beautiful child, glowing and happy and known by everybody. I’ve known him since I’ve been in the pub, he was like my little brother.”
Yuval was also remembered as a devoted fan of the Maccabi Haifa soccer team, which paid tribute to him in a memorial video and at a game, noting that he saw his first match at age 4, and ever since was hooked on the team, despite the distance to the stadium from Kfar Aza.
His cousin’s wife, Tammar Truzman, wrote on Facebook that Yuval was a “young guy, stable, handsome, salt of the earth who will be missed by the people, the land, all of us… he was a gift for 29 years. With his height, blue eyes, his nonchalance, everyone said he always drew the focus.”
Five months after he was killed, his family wrote about taking their first vacation together without him, and how his loss was felt every step of the way.
“Tamir is looking for a partner for backgammon… the ptitim came out perfectly, exactly as you loved. The barbecue is missing without you,” they wrote. “The cabbage without onion and with lemon is ready and waiting for you. You didn’t finish during our last vacation teaching [your niece] Ma’ayan poker. The late hours of the night have been left orphaned. The beer consumption has dropped 70-80%. Even your criticism of everything is sorely lacking. We miss you so much.”
