Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday presented the "Bereaved Family" certificate to Albert Amsalem, a representative of the adult IDF orphans and a member of the board of directors of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization.
This is a continuation of the historic news that thousands of adult orphans of the IDF and security forces orphans received just before Rosh Hashannah about receiving a bereaved family certificate.
A month ago, Aryeh Mualem, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department for memorizing the Fallen Soldiers at the Defense Ministry, announced the correction of a long-standing injustice, according to which orphans over the age of 30 were not recognized by the state as orphans and as a result did not receive benefits as bereaved family members.
Albert Amsalem, who lost his father in the Six Day War, said: "I was only eight days old when my father fell in battle at the entrance to Sinai. From that awful day, I paid the price of bereavement at every stage of my life. My father was not with me when I started pre-school, grade school, or when I stepped up to the Torah at my bar mitzvah."
"But even after I turned 30 - when the state drew a line and took me out of the camp officially - I remained an orphan. I am very excited to receive the certificate from the Defense Minister and thank him and the ministry for this welcome step," he added.