On October 19, 1998, a busload of children from Kfar Darom was on its way to school in the nearby Gaza Jewish town of N’vei Dekalim. An Arab suicide bomber drove a speeding bomb-laden car toward the bus, but was intercepted by the quick and brave reflexes of Asher (Alexi) and his fellow soldiers. They quickly drove their jeep in between the terrorist’s car and the school bus, absorbing the powerful explosion and saving all of the children. Asher was killed, and two other soldiers in the jeep were badly wounded.
Asher made Aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 1996 via the Jewish Agency's Selah (Students Before Parents) program. His parents joined him a year later, moving to Haifa. After studies in the Technion, Asher was inducted into the IDF, joining the Combat Engineering Corps.
Following Asher’s death, his parents decided to commemorate his life by establishing a prize fund. The fund each year recognizes the ten most successful participants in "Selah," the program which brought Naikov to Israel.
Members of Kfar Darom families whose children were saved by Asher’s bravery also took part in this year’s ceremony.
One such family, the Hadads, have become close with Asher’s family since his death. When a daughter was recently born to the Hadad family, her parents named her Osher (which means joy), in memory of Asher and his bravery.