מילים מהלב

Words of Yoav Kedar – Tomer Z”L's father:              

A few years ago our son Tomer was killed. A beautiful, talented and successful child as only the youngest son can be. Happy child … you would have loved him.

After the disaster I initiated the establishment of the garden with my wife Hagit.

I dreamt of a Zionist, educational, and ecological memorial park in memory of the 73 helicopter crash victims whom Tommy was one of.

We establish the garden with the feeling that the Land of Israel, which our Tommy sought, and the land of Israel hundreds of thousands of its citizens are seeking, is fading away.

The park is dedicated to the memory of the youth who volunteered to crawl on thorns, to go on arduous journeys, to practice shooting day and night, and to bring their physical and mental strength to the limits of their ability to ensure for themselves, for us and for all Jews, wherever they may be, the existence of an independent Jewish state.

A country in which integrity and good governance are honor, and excellence of work ethic are light which guide us. A state in which Alterman's words: "What we have not yet given, we shall give" and by Naomi Shemer: "To give and not to take" are standards to which they are educated.

It was the bravery and the heroic effort of hundreds of thousands of youth, from the Diaspora and from Israel, who, under the flags of Zionism, gave their lives, talents, youth and soul and presented us with a state.

A dream of craving and yearning for millions of Jews, which has lasted for thousands of years, had been fulfilled and given to us to cherish and keep as something holy. It is both a miracle and a wonder.

And what do we do? What do we do to keep it, to protect it?

We must re-educate ourselves to the "Forgotten Beauty" (Naomi Shemer – Zionism), which invited the population of Jews to adopt and realize the good and the beautiful in them.

Once we excelled with a shovel, a pitchfork and a plow. Today one must excel in chemistry and math, dancing and playing music.

But the main thing is that we must go back and practice integrity and protect it and not abandon it in the journeys of life even when they are exhausting, because without integrity we have no rebirth.

Words written by Tomer's sister Shachar z "l to the Maariv Newspaper

Meir Aziel Shalom,

Tommy and I loved reading “the corner of the pond.”
To read and identify with the loves, pains and joys of others.
I remember wondering if I too would ever have a story of wonderful love.

And I had.

Only I never thought it would end like this, So this is a special story about love, not romantic, but unparalleled.

And the pain too is unparalleled and it is unbearable.
Tommy – the sergeant Tomer Kedar, 21 years old lost his life in the helicopter disaster in the Shaar Yeshuv.
He was on his way to Lebanon, after having been given a special leave to part with me before I went on a trip to New Zealand and the Far East.

I'd appreciate it if you could post it. In his memory and in memory of our love (which still exists!)

Thanks, Shachar Kedar

I have known my prince for 21 years, and I am only 22.

The intensity of my love for the prince is difficult to define in words, and yet, or precisely because of this, my “pond story” is a little different.

We were born a year and two weeks apart. Two cute tadpoles of a froggy family (with tendencies to become princes). We spent our childhood together jumping and rough housing. We loved each other so much and read each other, brother and sister (and vice versa), that we had a unique idiom in froggy, which was understood only by us.

 It took several years for me to realize that my Froggy brother had become a beautiful and handsome prince with a beautiful soul. A special prince who was talented in many fields. Playing music, drawing, writing, organizing, leadership, and the ability to give love. He was a prince loved by all frogs, especially female frogs, and I happily and proudly joined the fan club.

I never took him for granted, and in every conversation I would remind him of my love for him. For, indeed, in all the ponds of the world I no longer have such a prince, who can in one embrace and his mere presence, give some of his princeliness and make me feel like a princess myself.

A month ago, we parted for four months (so we thought) … The open spaces called me, and I went travelling to the eastern ponds of the foreigners (New Zealand). When I got off the plane full of Princesses, they told me there was bitter news in the newspaper: the day we parted, my prince, my soul, my wonderful brother got on the helicopters with 72 more princes on their way to fight in the bogs of Lebanon, cold and far away with the hostile toads.

And since then I have been looking for him …

In his room, among his things, between his writings and his uniform, and waiting.

Maybe?

My Tommy-I love you so much,

Shahar.