It was a day filled with emotion and pain for the Goldin family, who escorted their son home after his body was returned from Hamas captivity. The vehicle drove through the streets of Kfar Saba, where thousands of residents lined the roads waving Israeli flags at the family’s request to pay their final respects.
At the beginning of the funeral procession, IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim saluted the coffin. Karim had been a member of the military rabbinical court that determined Hadar’s death in 2014.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said in his eulogy: “This moment gathers within it thousands of days of anticipation and immeasurable sorrow - the moment toward which all prayers have been directed for more than 11 years. With a salute and bowed head, we accompany Hadar today on the final journey he deserved long ago. During these years, you, dear family, became a compass and a conscience for the entire nation of Israel - a compass we in the IDF will forever carry forward.”
“The circle is now closed - Operation Protective Edge is complete. Leah and Simcha, Tzur, Hemi, Ayelet, and Edna - an entire nation walked beside you on the arduous road that led to Hadar’s return.”
Col. Netanel Shamkeh, commander of the Givati Brigade, said: “Hadar, you were the best of the best - uniquely kind, always helping others, yet a true professional. You fell in battle alongside your comrades. Since that day, we have raised an entire generation in your spirit - of responsibility, integrity, and professionalism. The brigade never gave up on you, your family, or our values - that no one is ever left behind.”
Simcha Goldin, Hadar’s father, said: “Walk the path of righteousness and do not hate one another. Hadar asked his mother to teach him sewing and stitched for himself the words ‘Strength and Humility.’ He was a Jewish warrior. For 11 years, we abandoned him in enemy captivity, intoxicated by honor, money, and power, forgetting our roots. We failed to convince Israeli society that abandoning the fallen is unacceptable - until Simchat Torah.”
Leah Goldin, his mother, spoke through tears: “Hadar, we waited 11 years for you. That’s such a long time - I can hardly explain how we managed. Whenever we faltered, someone in the family would ask, ‘But what would Hadar say?’ We’re here because of all the instructions you left us - because of who you are. Except for one small thing - I was still waiting for you to jump out and say everything’s okay.”
She shared a passage Hadar wrote at 16 to his Bnei Akiva youth group: “We aim high, but right now we see darkness. Our tribe isn’t united - it’s broken, orphaned. So what must we do? We must begin to work, to gather rays of light - and slowly, we can reach our goal.”
Hemi Goldin, Hadar’s brother, said: “What didn’t we deal with when the fields were burning in the South, when we stood at Black Arrow? Everyone dealt with everything - except bringing you back, Hadar. And to you, the vermin in Gaza, who call yourselves ‘Hamas,’ you are made of mud and filth. Look closely at this nation and this family - because you do not mess with the family of the people of Israel. We will bring everyone back.”
Tzur Goldin, another brother, said: “Hamas’s kidnapping terror is aimed directly at families - to tear Israeli society apart from within. To make us choose who matters more and what value to reject. Our victory in this war will be when the defining truth of Israeli society is this: we don’t abandon one another, we leave no one behind.”
Edna Sarussi, Hadar’s fiancée, eulogized: “My hero Hadar, you’re home - finally. You deserve that we speak of you, give space to your special soul that walked among us, bringing so much goodness and light, and whose absence is so deeply felt. You are infinite - the very strength of life itself: power and light, creativity and humor, thought and depth, daring and compassion, innocence and love.”
She continued: “Since you left, I’ve always spoken of how alive you were - that spark that shone through your curious eyes, your wide smile, down to your fingertips. You were pure vitality, fully devoted to life. For 11 years and three months, it felt like that vitality vanished from the world. But yesterday, seeing you lying before us, I felt that even without life, your presence was full of it - a moment of truth and purity, of things finally finding their place.”
“I was blessed to join your family, even if I never married you as we planned. I went through a journey with them that stamped deeply what values mean - how to fight for what matters. If we don’t fight, who will? I learned from them determination, strength, and faith. Rest in peace, my Hadar - you deserve it so much. But please, keep sending me little points of light, signs to guide me, reminders that help me grow better - and feel you with me always.”
Singer Idan Amedi, who had been active in the public campaign to bring Hadar home, said: “October 7th was not a tragedy - it was a failure. We call natural disasters tragedies, not human blindness. This was not a war of revival; true revival is born of pain, of recognizing trauma and admitting collapse - not sweeping it under the rug. Redemption will come only when we face the truth - when we acknowledge our failure, investigate, and correct our internal flaws. Only then can we rise again.”
The Goldin family asked that the day be dedicated to Hadar’s memory - in the spirit of his unifying, humble, and optimistic legacy - and requested to avoid political debate surrounding the event.
Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar said: “There are moments words cannot describe. After 11 years of waiting, pain, and hope, Lt. Hadar Goldin is finally laid to rest in his beloved homeland and city of Kfar Saba. This morning, all of Israel accompanies him with flags on his final journey. I extend my deepest condolences to his family - and we will continue to embrace and support them even now.”
