Son of Israel’s US envoy among four fallen soldiers honored in new pre-army program

A new pre-military preparatory program named 'The Four' will open in the Golan Heights, honoring four IDF reservists killed in Gaza in November 2023. The program targets religious, traditional, and haredi youth aged 18-20, combining military preparation with leadership training, agricultural work, and community volunteering. It commemorates Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, son of Israel's US envoy, and three others.

A new pre-military preparatory program named 'The Four' is set to open in Eliad in the Golan Heights, established in memory of four IDF reservists killed together in Gaza in November 2023. The program, announced by the Ma'ase Center and the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry, is intended for young adults aged 18 to 20 from traditional, religious, and haredi backgrounds who are preparing for military or national-civic service. The program commemorates Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter, Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz, Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin, and Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir. Leiter was the son of Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States. The four served in the 551st Brigade's 697th Battalion and were killed on November 10, 2023, when a booby-trapped tunnel shaft exploded near a mosque in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza. The 10-month program will combine preparation for military or national service with leadership training, physical fitness, field exercises, agricultural work, and volunteering in northern communities. Participants will receive guidance ahead of enlistment, including help navigating recruitment and placement procedures, alongside personal mentoring. The program's location in the Golan Heights is intended to give participants a role in supporting northern communities and agriculture following years of disruption caused by the war. The initiative emerged from the families' desire to turn the loss into a long-term educational project.