Captain Rivka Henriette Johanna Baruch, of blessed memory (z”l)

I will have a hard time forgetting my first encounter with her, in the midst of the “Iron Swords” war.
I arrived for a tour at a position in the north, and Rivka was a newly appointed platoon commander in one of the battalions—the commanding officer of the post.

To get a sense of who she was, I asked her to analyze the post in terms of terrain, enemy, force utilization, scenarios and responses, etc.
To my surprise, the young officer presented an excellent and operational analysis.
“Here I planned the patrol route because it’s relatively concealed,” she explained her reasoning.
“Here I placed the positions, here’s the casualty evacuation point, these are the threats and here is the response, these are the gaps.”

The glances I exchanged with the commanders accompanying me confirmed that this was a serious officer—one you couldn’t help but admire.

During her regular service, Rivka was a lone soldier, originally from the Netherlands.
Pure Zionism drove her to immigrate on her own and give her utmost to contribute.

She joined us from the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps.
A combat reservist officer for whom the field felt like home. Her quiet leadership, her wit, and her noble values gave her a special presence. Her soldiers held her in deep esteem.

On January 6, 2024, while serving in operational reserve duty, Rivka contracted a severe and sudden infection.
She fought for her life for about two weeks, until she passed away on January 21, 2024.

After her death, her parents, Robert and Sacha, decided to donate her organs and thus saved lives.

Despite her young age, Rivka was larger than life and destined for greatness.
I feel privileged to have known her.

May her memory be a blessing.