Young leadership group in memory of Ro'i Klein set up by AMIT schools

Klein was killed when he jumped on a grenade to save his soldiers during the Second Lebanon War.

By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
Roi Klein 224 88 (photo credit: Channel 1)
Roi Klein 224 88
(photo credit: Channel 1)
The AMIT national religious school network inaugurated a young leadership group on Monday in memory of Maj. Ro'i Klein, who was killed on July 26, 2006, in Bint Jbail, when he jumped on a grenade to save his soldiers during the Second Lebanon War. Klein, deputy commander of Golani's Battalion 51, saw the grenade, said the shema prayer, and then dove onto it. He was a graduate of the AMIT Bar Ilan Gush Dan School. Klein, a resident of Eli, left behind a wife and two young children. His sister, Noa, and father, Aharon, were in attendance Monday during ceremonies to mark the school network's accomplishments over the last year. "Ro'i was one of those rare people who was admired by the officers and men alike, and upon whose backs this state was built, and they carry it with dedication, simplicity and humility. Today, Ro'i is a symbol, in the State of Israel and in the Diaspora, of heroism and determination," Noa said at the ceremony. She turned to the 100 pupils chosen by their teachers for the leadership group and said, "You, the unit that will be named after Ro'i - you are the young leadership, the youth who will one day carry the state on your shoulders. At the end of the day, school represents one part of the total puzzle, a part of the tapestry of one's life and the place to start, so that maybe we'll succeed in making a better world. "Ro'i's act of heroism," she added, "drew attention to a man who was uncompromisingly devoted to the values he believed in, was a critical thinker, and felt responsible for the community and society in which we live." Dr. Amnon Eldar, director-general of AMIT, described Ro'i's outstanding qualities. "He was an excellent student, a person with values, a gifted saxophone player, finished studying engineering with honors, and a gentle soul. He believed that serving in the IDF was both necessary and an honor. He was decisive in all his actions: in his learning, in the army and in his acts of kindness and giving. And all of it came from humility and a striving for excellence," he said at the ceremony. "Ro'i's motto was: Be a man of values, know why and what you are working toward, and after you have chosen to accept the mission, put your all into it, even if it means you need to work hard, to achieve success," he said. This was the fifth time AMIT has marked its community service accomplishments. This year, the activities focused on the achievements of the State of Israel and the challenges still facing the country. Administrative representatives of the 70 schools in the system joined the pupils for a ceremony at Latrun to inaugurate the young leadership group.