"To aspire, to prepare, to triumph": These were three driving forces that formed the cornerstones of the life of Nahal Brigade Commander, Colonel Yonatan (Yoni) Steinberg HY”D, who fell on Simchat Torah while on his way to his soldiers who were under attack in Kerem Shalom.
In one of his speeches, Colonel Yonatan Steinberg said, “I am ready for any mission, I am ready to defend the country, I am ready to give my life for the beloved homeland.” And he did.
Yoni HY”D was an admired commander, a modest man, a family man, a lover of Torah, and a man of integrity. His ways were always holy – in his prayers, his studies, the pleasant way he spoke, and the way he knew how to distinguish between the essential and the trivial, between the sacred and the mundane. Yoni was entirely devoted to the people of Israel, to all of us!
Yoni HY”D managed to unite different parts of the nation. It's no wonder that when he was appointed as Nahal Brigade Commander, the Ma'aleh Eliyahu Yeshiva celebrated the fact that one of its graduates was in such an important and dedicated role, while at the same time, members of the Hashomer Hatzair movement marked the fact that Yoni was a resident of Kibbutz Shomria. This kibbutz was founded by Hashomer Hatzair and, after the expulsion from Gush Katif, resettled by residents of Atzmona. Yoni knew how to be loyal to national interests and connected, but in his role as Brigade Commander of the Binyamin region, he also knew how to listen carefully to the "Hilltop Youth" and worked hard to improve the connection with them.
Tzofia Eliyahu, Yoni’s sister, who also lives in Shomria, relates that Yoni’s motto was: “If there’s a mission, someone needs my help – I’m there, I’m doing it, without asking questions, without thinking twice.” He brought joy and a sense of calm…
Yaakov Ben Simon, the Steinberg family's neighbor and friend, recounts: “We were blessed in our community, the community of Shomria, with Yoni, who walked among us like an angel without us noticing so much. About Yoni, it can be said, ‘blessed is the one who says and does,’ only that he did a lot and said little. That was Yoni – immersed in action, with humility and concern for everyone around him. His foremost concern was to be God's messenger, to act with God.”
Yoni always charged forward. He charged forward on the morning of the holiday, swiftly leaving his home, racing toward his soldiers stationed in Kerem Shalom. He stopped by the side of the road to catch the terrorists, and ultimately charged heroically toward the forces of evil that ambushed him by the roadside.
Our Yoni was not a man of partiality; in everything he did, he aimed for perfection. We follow his path, seeking to add light and goodness in Torah, prayer, and friendship.
The synagogue built in Shomria was constructed with grandeur at the heart of the community, at the center of our lives, and its entrance directly faces the entrance to the Steinberg family home.
We all knew how important it was to Yoni to build this synagogue, and therefore, as soon as we learned of Yoni’s death on Simchat Torah, it was clear to all of us – the synagogue would be established and stand in his name, in his memory, and to continue his path.
Our permanent synagogue was built in the design of the synagogue of the community that was destroyed by terrorists in Atzmona, in the sands of Gush Katif. Our community carries within its genes the struggle of the people of Israel to return to the land, and the hope for the redemption of Israel, which is constantly unfolding.
To glorify the house of Hashem and complete it in an honorable way, we need the help of each and every one of you.
The community of Shomria call on the broader public to partner with us – this is a call to each and every one of you to seize the opportunity to strengthen the voice of prayer and study, specifically from this place, to become partners in the continuation of Yoni’s unique path, and to commemorate his name and memory in this place of prayer and study that was the center of his life.
We have no doubt that Yoni will direct the heavenly Beit Midrash in parallel with our earthly Beit Midrash, and will act for the entire people of Israel, that our words may be favorable before the Master of all.