At the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Master Sergeant (Res.) Efi (Yonah Ephraim) Feldbaum was laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon after falling in battle in southern Gaza.
Feldbaum is survived by his wife, Shulamit, and five children: twins David and Yonatan, born two years ago; daughters Yasmin and Rita-Rivka; and his eldest son Uri, age 11.
His wife, Shulamit, eulogized him with emotion: "Efi always aimed high. He always wanted to grow and learn more, without overthinking, and he always found a way forward, even when things didn’t go as planned. Lately, he would repeat that he wanted to live life to the fullest, not just survive it. He taught us, gave us strength to grow and aspire for more - to be better and better. He loved to cook and to spoil us with good food. He loved people, loved to help, to solve problems even when it was hard. He always thought ahead."
"Efi, thank you for all the gifts. Please pray for us, stay with us, bring unity, and let this war end with everyone standing together - just as you always acted to embrace others without judgment. You were always humble. Watch over us, and over the people of Israel, that there be no more families like ours. May redemption come soon.”
Efi’s mother also shared her words of grief: “When he enlisted, he told me, ‘Mom, don’t worry. There’s no reason to worry - I’ll tell you when to worry.’ The first time he went into Gaza, he said, ‘Mom, I promised to tell you - now you can worry.’"
"Efi was a man of expression; one look could convey deep emotion. He loved his work and said he was happy to give something back to our country. With his eyes, he told me how much he loved me - and I felt it.
His brother Moshe added: “You had a special gentleness - giving and volunteering that came with humility and modesty. Everywhere I look, people speak of your courage on the one hand, and your generosity on the other. For you, they were not opposites - they were two parts of the same beautiful mosaic of your life.”
Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, said in his eulogy: “Efi was a man of the land - a builder, deeply connected to the soil of Israel. He understood that the Land of Israel is not just an idea we talk about - it’s something we live and build. And we defend it, even at the cost of our lives. With the same equipment he used to build this land, Efi destroyed the infrastructure of death - and in doing so, built the infrastructure of life. That is Zionism: destroying evil to build good./;
Shulamit, Rita, Yasmin, Uri, Yonatan, and David - the entire Feldbaum family - on behalf of all the residents of Binyamin and all the people of Israel, we embrace you and share your deep sorrow. Efi fell in battle, but his legacy lives on: his connection to the land, his values, his devotion - they will continue to guide us.”
Efi was shot by a sniper while operating heavy engineering machinery in Rafah, as part of an IDF mission to locate terrorists hiding in the city’s tunnels.
His brother-in-law, Rabbi Daniel Luntzer, told Kan Reshet Bet’s Kalman-Liberman program that Feldbaum’s five children were “his whole world,” but that he chose to serve in reserve duty because he felt he was “doing something meaningful” - willing to “put everything aside for the sake of the people of Israel.”