Israel Matzav

Arutz Sheva interviewed kidnapped officer Hadar Goldin last year

Arutz Sheva interviewed kidnapped IDF officer Hadar Goldin and his twin brother after they finished their officers' training course last year.

Late last year, Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language radio station interviewed Hadar, together with his twin brother, as they completed their officers course.

The brothers told of their religious-Zionist upbringing, and their family's long tradition of combat service in the IDF.

"We grew up on a love of the people and the land (of Israel)... our two holocaust-survivor grandfathers took part in the War of Independence, our father is a battalion commander in the reserves - it's something from the home."

They added that they had been brought up on a "love of life... a lot of love and particularly an education on how to make (the right) choices."

Hadar and his brother grew up in a religious environment, attending yeshiva-high school in Ra'anana and volunteering as madrichim (leaders) at their local chapter of the Bnei Akiva religious-Zionist youth movement.

Until the army, the two were practically inseparable; both attended the prestigious Bnei David religious pre-military academy (mekhina) in the Samarian town of Eli, and studied the entire Talmudic tractate of Brakhot together.

"We studied together at mekhina in Eli, but in the army we separated, so we were happy to meet again in the officers training course."

"It's always good to have another person who makes you complete," he added, saying the two were so close that "during the final exams of the course we got to a point where we were studying together for an entire day - we knew exactly what the other was thinking..."

The full interview (in Hebrew) can be heard here.

If it looks like there's someone next to Hadar in the picture above... there is. It's not his twin brother. It's his fiancee. One of my children has the picture, which I will not post (the fiancee is entitled to a little privacy). But Hadar is engaged....

Hashem Yerachem (May God Have mercy). 

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, IDF, kidnapping, Operation Protective Edge

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:14 PM