Binyamin, father of reservist First Sergeant (res.) Refael Kauders z"l, who was killed in the UAV attack in the northern Druze town of Hurfeish, speaks to Arutz Sheva about his son's special personality and his decision to volunteer to serve in the north, despite the danger.
At the beginning of the interview, Kauders says that his son should not have been in the north, on the front line, but decided to be with the soldiers anyway. "It was his nature, wherever he was needed, he was there. He had a sense of what needed to be done and what did not need to be done," he says.
Kauders continues to talk about his son's character and says: "In his soul, he was a natural educator. From age ten he wanted to be a teacher."
"He did everything he could to become a teacher and not to pursue a career in another field. He was talented in every field. Science, literature, and philosophy, but he wanted to be a teacher. He wanted to convey the teachings of the Torah to the world, to children."
He also said that when Refael z”l completed his army service, he received a certificate of merit. "We found it only recently," Kauders shares a quote that was written on the certificate, that very much represents his son: “Even a simple soldier must take responsibility when there is no one else to do the job."
Kauders also quotes the famous saying of Hillel the Elder, "Where there are no men, try to be a man,” saying that, "This is exactly Refael."
He shares that what he found the most emotional were the children who came to the funeral and cried as if they were Refael’s own sons: "Here in Tzur Hadassah he was very busy with all kinds of activities. He also taught lessons for young children. There were children aged 6, 7, 8, and 10 at the funeral, who cried as if they were Refael’s own children. This is what moved me the most to see."