Head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council Yaron Rosenthal bade farewell to his friend, Elad Fingerhut who was murdered yesterday in an anti-tank missile strike in northern Israel:
“We worked together in Gush Etzion for many years. Elad was part of the team that worked together with the Kfar Etzion Field School and really brought it to life, making it into a tourist gem.
He would be there - sometimes alone - in the scorching summer and the snowy winter, above ground and below ground. He faced many challenges with his own hands, without speaking much, with shining eyes, and an intense love for Gush Etzion.
Later on, he assisted in the establishment of Ibei HaNahal and the renewal of Jewish agriculture in the region.
He didn’t always have it easy in this world, but I always saw in him a strong man with a huge heart, who was bound with all his heart to Gush Etzion. He will be laid in Gush Etzion, and we will always remember him as a determined man who for many years invested all his strength into the flourishing of the Gush. I convey my condolences to all his family, who are part of the Gush Etzion community.
I valued him greatly and we will all miss him.”