The Ashdod Military Cemetery was filled on Sunday with family, friends, and residents who came to pay final respects to Sergeant First Class (Res.) Lidor Porat (aged 31), a soldier in the 7106th Battalion of the 769th Regional Brigade, fell in battle during ground operations in southern Lebanon.
Lidor, an outstanding electrical engineering student, began his studies at Ben-Gurion University but stopped in order to care for his mother through her difficult illness. Only one she passed away, did he return to his studies and completed them with excellence, all while making sure to set times for Torah study at the Beit El Yeshiva.
His brother, Naor, eulogized him in tears: "My brother, Lidor, heroism pulsed within you. You were so brave! You were gifted with wisdom and talent, and you never gave up. You merited to give your life on Shabbat, the first of the month of Iyar, the month of heroism and martyrdom. No creation could stand before you."
Lieutenant Colonel Doron Menachem eulogized on behalf of the IDF: "You were a great soul who spread love and care. You always looked for ways to contribute, and you were a role model for us all. A lighthouse of professionalism and endless smiles.
Porat, 31, from Ashdod and a graduate of the Beit El Yeshiva, is survived by his father, Abraham, his older brother Naor, and his twin sister Inbal. He was born and raised in Ashdod’s District D and studied at Yeshivat Bnei Akiva Neve Herzog. After high school, Porat continued to a higher yeshiva in Beit El and later enlisted in the paratroopers.