Behind Every Written Word Lies a Person. A Story. A Life.
On Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) 2025, we are proud to join the Ot Zikaron (Forever Written) initiative, in which various Israeli institutions are replacing their logo with a specially designed logo featuring the handwriting of those who were murdered on October 7 and during the Iron Swords War.
IDI's Hebrew logo is written in the handwriting of Warrant Officer (Res.) Elon Weiss z”l, 49 years old, from Psagot — a father of seven, a grandfather to a beloved granddaughter, a fighter in the 129th Armored Battalion, 8th ("Oz") Brigade, who fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip.
IDI Senior Fellow Prof. Benjamin Porat, whose daughter was married to Elon Weiss’s son writes about him:
"Elon was a man who spread light in every circle of his life — family, students, and the nation. He continued to serve in the reserves even when he had every possible exemption, standing firmly on his right and duty to continue serving. On June 15, 2024, during combat with terrorists on the Netzarim Corridor, his tank struck a mine."
Photo, courtesy of the family of Master Sergeant (res.) Elon Weiss, z"l.
In Memory of Elon Weiss z”l
Elon Weiss was born on the 24th of Cheshvan, 5735 (November 9, 1974) in Kibbutz Alumim on the border with Gaza. He was the son of Giora and Batsheva Weiss.
Elon built a home together with his wife, Neta. They were blessed with seven children — Yedidya, Hodaya, Racheli, Reut, Talia, Yehonatan, and Shira – and they established their home in the community of Psagot, in the Binyamin region.
Elon was a man who radiated light in every sphere of his life.
First and foremost, he was a devoted family man — a loving husband, a proud father, and a friend to each of his children, maintaining a bond of open-hearted friendship with every one of them. Within his heart, he also made enormous space for his daughter-in-law Nitzan and his son-in-law Avichai, and he was utterly enamored with his granddaughter Yahav.
Honoring one’s parents was a supreme value for Elon, one he deeply instilled in his children.
In a second sphere, Elon was an educator at his core.
He worked as a teacher at AMIT Eitan High School in Ma'ale Adumim, where he was a beloved educator who loved his students as if they were his own children. He invested countless hours in guiding them and celebrated every step of their progress during and beyond their school years. Recently, he had begun doctoral studies in education at Bar-Ilan University.
In a third sphere, Elon was a man of dedication and volunteerism.
He was always the first to step forward — quietly and determined, without fanfare.
This was true in his volunteering with "Yedidim," an organization through with assisted stranded motorists at all hours. It was true in the tours he led as a certified guide, often volunteering happily to walk the Land of Israel and instill love of its heritage.
Photo, courtesy of the family of Master Sergeant (res.) Elon Weiss, z"l.
Elon also served in public roles in his community, motivated by a deep desire to give rather than to receive.
Above all, Elon’s greatest act of volunteering was his ongoing reserve military service.
He served faithfully every year for 28 years, continuing even when he had every legitimate exemption — passing the age of forty, being a father of seven, and even a grandfather. Yet he stood firm on his right and obligation to serve.
His reserve service was not marked by glory; it was the quiet, demanding, Sisyphean work of a tank crewman — a form of service that so perfectly reflected his modest and determined character.
Elon was a man who served God with all his heart, and Torah study was an inseparable part of his being.
His eyes were kind, sensitive, and genuinely attentive. He was a true "people’s person." When he asked, "How are you?" — you could feel that he truly meant it, and he sincerely wanted to hear.
On Simchat Torah 5784 (October 7, 2023), Elon was mobilized with his unit.
He spent the long winter on the northern border, where he tragically lost his dear friend and longtime comrade-in-arms, Yehezkel Azaria. Later, Elon and his unit were transferred to Gaza.
He managed to celebrate the wedding of his daughter, Racheli, and only a few days after the wedding, he returned to the tank and to his fellow fighters.
On Shabbat, Parashat Naso, the 9th of Sivan, 5784 (June 15, 2024), during a battle against Hamas terrorists on the Netzarim Corridor, Elon’s tank struck a mine.
Two soldiers were killed in the explosion — the tank commander, Eitan Koplowitz, and Elon Weiss, who was 49 years old at the time of his death.
Some years earlier, Elon’s son Yedidya married my daughter Nitzan. Elon and I shared a precious granddaughter, Yahav, with whom Elon spent his final leave, shortly before returning to the Gaza front — from which he did not return.
In their deep longing for Elon — their father and the pillar of his family — his family has promised to continue walking in his path, with faith and a spirit of life and joy.
May the memory of Elon Weiss be a blessing.
The Ot Zikaron ("Forever Written") initiative is a collaboration between Ben Horin Alexandrovitz, a strategic communications firm, and the “Ot LeChaim” project. As part of the initiative, handwriting samples from the fallen were collected and transformed into original, commemorative fonts.