Israel at War Lesson Plans
SEE ALL OCTOBER 7th LESSON PLANS

Zakhor, Remembering the Fallen Heroes of October 7th

Grades: Middle School
Length: 30 minutes

Introduction

In this lesson, students will explore the importance of memory in the Jewish tradition. Students learn about individuals who were killed on October 7, 2023. Students will consider key lessons that can be learned from these individuals and how they can incorporate those lessons into their lives.

Objectives:

  • Students will utilize texts to explore the importance of memory in the Jewish tradition.
  • Students will identify and learn about individuals who were killed on Oct 7, 2023.
  • Students will consider character traits that can be learned from the individuals and how those can be implemented in their own lives.

Lesson Sequence

Introduction: The teacher should explore the importance of memory in Judaism. The teacher can begin by prompting the students to guess how many times the concept of “zakhor,” to remember, is mentioned in the Torah. The teacher should explain that this concept is mentioned 169 times! The teacher should then draw the students’ attention to three key specific texts/frameworks that emphasize these ideas.

  • Zakhor – The teacher should explain that within the prayer book, there are six passages from the Torah called the “Shesh Zikhronot.” The teacher should explain that some have the custom of reciting these passages daily and that the concept of zakhor in this case applies to specific people and stories that come up in the Torah.
  • Pesach Seder – the teacher should explain that the Pesach Seder is an interactive way that we remember the Exodus from Egypt. 
  • ″And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name (יד ושם)… that shall not be cut off (Yeshayahu 56:5).″ – The teacher should explain that this text emphasizes the importance of giving a person who has passed away a memorial and name so that they are remembered.

The teacher should ask the students to suggest ways in which people are remembered in Judaism and ways that they can think of on their own about how people can be remembered. 

The teacher should explain that one of the ways of processing what happened on October 7, 2023, and since then, is by remembering individuals who have been killed through learning about who they were and what they stood for. By discussing these individuals, and by providing them with a memorial and a name, we ensure that they will be remembered. 

The teacher can explain that every individual who has died since October 7, 2023 deserves to be remembered, and that the profiles below are just a few of many, many more.

Part 2: Remembering the Fallen/Killed

Click here to view the profiles as PDF files.

1. Lior Levy, Age 19 (source)

Lior Levy was born in Dimona and was the second of 4 siblings. At the age of 18, she joined the IDF and served as a soldier in the Home Front Command, which is responsible for preparing Israel’s civilians for crises and for assisting during crises. She was killed while serving on her base on the morning of October 7, 2023. Lior loved to cook, making pasta in rosé sauce and tea biscuit cakes that she used to bring back to the base for her friends. As a teenager, Lior was always looking for ways to help others. She dreamed of being a doctor and joined the Magen David Adom ambulance service at the age of 14 as a volunteer in order to help others and learn more about the medical field. Even after joining the army, Lior continued to volunteer for MDA, and her co-volunteers described her as someone who cared deeply about the patients and interacted with them with professionalism while treating them like family.

  • What specific traits can you learn from Lior’s life?
  • What can Lior’s life teach you about the impact a teenager can have on the world around them?

2. Yonatan Elazari, Age 19 (source)

Yonatan Elazari was born in Alon Shvut, Israel, and was one of five siblings. On the morning of October 7, Yonatan was celebrating the holiday of Simchat Torah at his pre-army Yeshiva in the city of Ofakim, located near the Gaza border. While he was only in basic training for the army, Yonatan tried to defend the city of Ofakim from terrorists that had entered the city. Although he did not have a gun, Yonotan tried to use rocks to keep the terrorists from hurting others and eventually used the gun of an injured police officer to try to keep the terrorists away until he was killed on the roof of a building.

His mother described her son as “mischievous, sweet, sweet, sweet, just a heartbreaker of a kid, with curls, light, laughing eyes, and always a smile — he was always happy. He dreamed of being a fighter, he was gentle and sensitive but he was very physical, he was into extreme, he did rock climbing and also archery,” she said. “He was all bravery and all gentleness, exuberant joy and playfulness,” his father wrote in a eulogy. “Full of initiative and originality and with his charm winning over all those around him to fall in love with him and want to be near him. He was a loyal friend who would always jump to help, just as he jumped into battle naturally with bravery and died a hero’s death in a battle which stopped a terrorist cell in Ofakim.”

  • What specific traits can you learn from Yonatan’s life?
  • What can Yonatan’s life teach you about the impact a teenager can have on the world around them?

3. Master Sgt. (res.) Noam Slotki, 31, and Sgt. First Class Yishay Slotki, 24 (Sources: Link and Link)

Brothers Noam and Yishay Slotki grew up in Israel in a family of 9. Noam served as a combat medic, and Yishay was a soldier in the Oded Brigade. On the morning of October 7th, the brothers realized the extent of the attack and traveled to the Gaza border area to help even before they were called by the army. According to their father, “They understood that there was a need to help Israel immediately, that the army was not able to arrive at that time to save the towns near Gaza, and they took on the task themselves. Like many others, they enlisted for this task on their own and without being called… it’s really an incredible thing — the spirit of heroism, the spirit of responsibility, dedication to the people of Israel.”

Both men grew up with a deep love of the land of Israel, Am Yisrael, and their families. They were known for having a lot of energy as teenagers, but as they grew up, they learned to use their energy to work on themselves and accomplish what was important to them.

Noam lived in Beersheba, worked in Tel Aviv, studied at university, and with his wife, Adi, raised their son, Netta Yehuda, who was born just 16 months ago. His grandmother, Hadassah, remembers how Noam would travel to Tel Aviv by train, ride on a scooter to his workplace, and occasionally pop in to visit her and his grandfather on his way home, despite his hectic schedule. He also found time to work out in the gym and run long distances.

Yishay hopped from school to school as a teenager. Yishay had a heard of gold. Regardless of where he went, he developed many close friendships with others. Yishay had a heart of gold and a large group of good friends. When their close friend died of an allergic attack, he and his twin brother Yonatan took it upon themselves to support the family, phoning and visiting them constantly.

Noam and Yishay both left behind a wife and a child.

  • What specific traits can you learn from Noam and Yishay’s lives?
  • What can you learn from Noam’s and Yishay’s commitment to the land of Israel and the people of Israel?

Reflection

Students should identify a key trait of one of the individuals above. The teacher should ask the students to reflect on the trait/lesson that they have selected through a mode of creative expression. The teacher can display these in the classroom or in the school as a wall of remembrance for these individuals.

These might include:

  • Writing a short journal entry
  • Illustrating a poster
  • Writing a poem