In the twenty-one years of his life, IDF Corporal Ofir Testa brought happiness wherever he went. Today, at his funeral in Jerusalem’s Mt. Hertzl Military Cemetery, one thousand mourners could not hold back their tears.
Ofir always had a smile on his face
“Over the six years that Ofir attended Boys Town Jerusalem, he always had a smile on his face,” recalls Principal Rabbi Yehudah Rosencrantz. “You couldn’t help but be happy when Ofir was there.” Ofir’s quiet self-confidence and constant willingness to help others made this excellent student a great asset to the school, the principal noted.
Ofir served his country with pride
Soon after Ofir’s graduation in 2020, the BTJ Computer Science major began his IDF service, where he served in an artillery battalion. “Ofir told us then, ‘Wherever the Army feels I’m needed, that’s where I’ll go,’” his father recalled at his son’s freshly-dug grave. Even when he was rushed to battle as the war broke out, Ofir calmed his parents with a text saying, “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. It’s very pastoral here outside of Gaza. We’re just at the fence.”
In lauding Ofir’s bravery in the deadly clash with Hamas terrorists that soon erupted, his commander declared, “Ofir fought the terrorists valiantly, but at the utmost tragic sacrifice.”
Ofir Testa gave himself to Jerusalem and Israel
Mayor of Jerusalem Moshe Lion eulogized the young Jerusalem native, saying, “Your father serves in the Israel Police. Your mother is a nurse at the Shaare Zedek Hospital. You, too, gave of yourself to Jerusalem, and lightened the lives of so very many people. Ofir, your death was not in vain. You are saving the lives of innocent people in the future. We are infinitely grateful.”
May the memory of Ofir Testa be a blessing. May his good deeds and his bravery be an eternal legacy for all.