Chilling: Lecha Dodi sung at fallen soldier Efi Feldbaum's Funeral 

Efi Feldbaum served as a Master Sergeant (res.) in the IDF's Gaza Division, specifically in the Combat Engineering Corps, a unit specializing in breaching obstacles, mine clearance, and infrastructure demolition in hostile environments.

Though not obligated to serve as a reservist due to his age and family status, he volunteered extensively since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, channeling his contracting expertise into frontline operations.

Feldbaum was married to Shulamit and was a father of five young children: twins David and Yonatan, daughters Yasmine and Rita-Rivka, and 11-year-old son Uri, all under 11 years old.

His father-in-law, Menachem Levy (Levi), described him as "quiet and humble, a true book lover with hundreds of books on every subject, Japan, world history, you name it."

Despite his Haredi roots, Feldbaum was action-oriented, often organizing events for lone soldiers and improvising equipment repairs under fire, "He saved hundreds," Levy said.

Yesterday, amid a shaky ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Feldbaum was killed by gunfire (initial reports suggest sniper fire) during an IDF engineering activity in Rafah, southern Gaza. The incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. local time when militants opened fire on an engineering vehicle, violating the ceasefire's "yellow line" (a buffer zone Hamas agreed not to cross). This marks the third IDF fatality since the truce began earlier in October, sparking outrage over Hamas's repeated breaches and international silence.

The IDF confirmed his death on October 29, bringing the total fallen in the October 7 War to 921.

At his funeral on October 29, emotional accounts emerged: His commander, Uria, recounted holding Feldbaum in his final moments as he hummed "Shalom Aleichem Malachei HaSharet" (a traditional Shabbat song welcoming angels of peace). The crowd joined in singing, "connecting heaven and earth."