פורסם ב: יז' שבט תשע"ז

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On the eve of Tu BeShvat – the 15th of Shvat – I am happy to convey you the delight and pride I felt last night, when I attended the graduation ceremony of the latest round of the army course that trains experienced officers to become battalion commanders. As I saw the ceremony I thought of a particular thing the Sages say: "Dear tree (as a parable to an accomplished disciple)! With what shall I bless you? Your fruit is already sweet… [but I bless you that] all the saplings planted from your seed should just like you!" Two of our graduates successfully completed the battalion commanders' course and two the company commanders' course.

Major Avishai Beck, a Bnei David graduate of our 12th year class, not only successfully completed the course for battalion commanders, but was declared the most outstanding student of the course. The hug he received at the end of the course (see attached photo) came from the commander of the course, Lt. Col. Avi Blut, who himself is also a graduate of Bnei David and will soon take up his new post as commander of the Commando Brigade.

Avishai studied in the Mechina at Bnei David before the army, then served in the Givati Brigade elite Reconnaissance Unit, rising to become an officer. Afterwards he returned to Bnei David to study in the Beit Midrash for Post-Army students, where he studied in the Chai Roi program together with taking a degree in electrical engineering. Today he works at a classified defense workplace.
He lives today with his wife and six children in a temporary site in the Yatir Forest area, as part of the Chiran group that is slated to establish a new Jewish community in the Negev, in the near future.

Avishai was asked to speak at the graduation ceremony, representing the officers who took part in the course. It was awesome to see him integrate into his speech Midrashim of Chazal about Tu BeShvat and from parashat Shavuah.

How glad and truly blessed we are that we have such sweet fruits as Avishai.