Robbert Baruch
Robbert Baruch is Rebecca’s father.
We are about to commit our daughter, our sister, to these revered grounds.
This is the second time we are here together. A few weeks after her Bat Mitswa, we traveled together to Israel, and visited Mount Herzl : the grave of Mordechai (Gush) Rosin who died in the Operation Bin Nun Alef – the first attack on the Latrun Legion, and the monument that commemorated Hans Rosin, who was on Hebrew transport company 462 aboard the ship “Erinpura”, which was bombed. We just visited it, and we saw that the birth date of Mordechai is January 21st – yesterday: the day of Rebecca’s death.
Rebecca Henriette Johanna Baruch was our first-born. She made us into parents, and our parents into grandparents. The generations weighed heavy. She knew she was a descendant of refugees, victims, fighters, and survivors.
From a very young age she knew which category she belonged to. The fighters.
Rebecca would have celebrated her 25th birthday in just a few weeks. This brings our memories back to her Bat Mitswa, on parashat Yithro, in January 2011.
Her speech on the Parasha focused on the words from the haftara, Jesaja 6:8:
את מי אשלח ומי ילך לנו ואומר הנני שלחני
Et mie eslach oemie jeelech lanoe? Wa’omar hinenie, sjelacheenie”
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me.”
Wa’omar hinenie, sjelacheeni. And I said: here I am, send me.
In sports: she earned a brown belt in Judo and broke more than a few pairs of glasses with football.
In school: exceeding what was needed studying subjects such as mathematics, natural science, Greek, Latin, Philosophy, and German, even earning a “Goethe” certificate.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
An activist in progressive Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror she served as a madricha and in her final school year even on the board. And she made it clear to herself and others, that her place, her future was Israel, where she could be a Jew amongst Jews, a fighter amongst fighters and an idealist amongst idealists.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
After graduating, Rebecca moved to Sderot and enrolled in a mechina. She was convinced that only taking personal action and assuming responsibility can change what one doesn’t agree with, and strengthen that what is needed, she joined the army in 2018 as a lone soldier through the Garin Tzabar program and lived in Kibbutz Sa’ad.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
She joined the 727 Field Intelligence Battalion stationed in the Southern desert. After officer training, Rebecca served in the 414 Field Intelligence Battalion, responsible for guarding the Gaza border. When a balloon fell on the wrong side of the border, she and a few others decided not to await orders, but retrieve it.
Hinenie
Her extended military service concluded in March 2023, retiring with the rank of lieutenant.
As a civilian, Rebecca worked as a group leader for Habonim Dror Worldwide and Onward and was active within the youth movement of Meretz. She was committed to change and to create a society that upholds principles of democracy and inclusivity.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
Following the terrorist attacks on October 7th that took the lives of friends, soldiers, and officers, around Gaza, she voluntarily reported for duty at 2:00 PM.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
She was called to duty on the 11th, she journeyed to a northern base where their services were not required so together with a friend she attended a close friend’s funeral here, on Mount Herzl before reporting for duty in bases in the Southern Command. Here she saw with her own eyes what had happened. Her former unit -the eyes and ears of the Southern Command- was nearly depleted.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
On October 13th she was recruited to an air defence missiles unit, responsible for the ground security of the Iron Dome, where she had a role in the protection of strategic arms. She was the first and only female in the platoon.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
During a break in December, she led the Habonim summer camp near Cape Town in South Africa.
Sjelacheeni
Rebecca returned to Israel on January 1st and reported back to the Air Force base the following day. But she was emotionally and physically drained. A few days later, she fell ill, and she struggled for two weeks, supported by hundreds of thoughts, prayers and visitors.
We always knew that her readiness could take a toll. So did she. In a very moving ceremony, she was relieved of her duty by her commanders, who are here.
Hineni
In her purse, she always carried the Ruach Tzahal and the Hatikva.
Hinenie, sjelacheeni
There are final words in a letter Rebecca wrote us “in case something happened”:
Let people know who I was.
Please talk and listen and sing and hear.
והעיקר לא לפחד כלל
(And the main thing is to have no fear at all)היה לי זכות
(I had the privilege)
This morning, we received a call from the Tel Hashomer hospital, that her organs were donated, and the operations went well.
Also after death: hinenie, sjelacheeni
