20 years have passed since Golani Brigade 51st Battalion Commander Major Roi Klein fell in battle in Bint Jbeil during the Second Lebanon War, sacrificing himself to protect his men. Today (Monday), his eldest son, Gilad, arrived at the IDF induction center, where he enlisted in his father's battalion, the Golani 51st Battalion.
Gilad's younger brother enlisted slightly over a year ago and serves in the 51st Battalion as a basic training squad commander at the Golani Training Base. Thus, a little over a year apart, Roi's two sons end up in the same battalion in which their father served.
Their mother, Sarah Klein, stresses in a conversation with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News that, despite the special significance this decision holds, her sons were not raised with the expectation of enlisting specifically in the Golani or 51st Battalion.
"They were really small when Roi was killed," Sarah says. "Gilad was nearly three, and his younger brother was a year and a bit. They were raised on Roi's legacy, but not in the sense of enlisting specifically in Golani or choosing his military path. They were raised on the values which he lived by: giving, mission, and dedication, through Torah and a love for the nation and land."
She adds that "On top of those values, they chose to go to Golani and the 51st Battalion, which, of course, is not a chance decision, and expresses a deep connection to their father. The legacy on which they were raised is that sacrifice comes before everything in life. It doesn't begin with a moment of heroism on the battlefield, but with the way one chooses to live their life - what he gives of himself, for what does he work, the ability to take responsibility and to dedicate his strengths to the public."
As an IDF widow, Sarah has to sign a special waiver to allow each of her children to enlist in a combat unit. She shares that she had mixed feelings when she signed it: "On the one hand, there is this very natural and basic motherly concern. I am a mother, and it is clear that there is fear, and it's complicated. On the other hand, there is a great sense of pride in being part of the great story of the people of Israel."
Sarah talks about the young generation, which has been enlisting in recent years amid the ongoing war: "For nearly three years, an amazing generation has emerged here, full of motivation and willingness to give. Along with it, there are amazing families, some have already paid a very heavy price, and yet, they continue to accompany their children and carry the burden. We met bereaved families here whose sons fell on October 7th, and this morning, they are accompanying their son, a bereaved brother, to his enlistment. To see a family that experienced such a big loss and continues to choose giving and responsibility personifies this nation's power."
Sarah places great importance on the path her sons took before enlisting. Both spent years studying Torah before their military service: “Those years built strength, resilience, and inner fortitude within them, and deepened their understanding of the value of the mission they are embarking on."
Gilad’s enlistment was one of several emotional moments the family experienced during his younger brother’s service. One came at the end of his training, when he received his father’s beret from his grandfather, Roi’s father: “It was a very moving and uplifting moment. Seeing Roi’s father give his grandson Roi’s beret was a connection between generations that is difficult to put into words."
Asked what Roi would have thought about the path his sons chose, she answers simply: “I am sure he would have been proud of them. Not only because they joined the Golani Brigade or the 51st Battalion, but because they chose to take responsibility, give of themselves, and be part of something."