Maayan Naim, a soldier who served in the Tel Hashomer base, was
killed in a terror attack during her military service. Arutz Sheva
met her father, Chaim, at the base in which she served.
After his daughter’s death Chaim, who at the time was a peddler in
the market, decided that he wanted to continue her path in every
sense of the word, and serve in the same place where she had served.
Chaim joined the base as an IDF employee.
The loss of Maayan is felt at the base, whether it’s in the corners
dedicated in her memory or in the connection between Chaim and those
who knew Maayan and served with her in the base before she was killed.
Chaim put up some pictures, painted the place, and cleaned it up so
it feels more like home.
“The place didn’t look so good when I came here, so I cleaned it up a
bit," he said. "I put up some decorations. I planted a little garden
here and I made a little spring (maayan in Hebrew means spring) and
whoever understands it will understand."
Chaim’s way of dealing with his loss is a source of inspiration to
all those who surround him. Chaim didn’t bring his mourning to the
base, but more of the liveliness of the market, where he worked
before his daughter’s death.
Michelle Meidan Yanko, Casualty Officer of the Logistics Corps, said
that “Chaim’s integration in the base is actually the family’s return
to life. He has an opportunity to get up in the morning and go to a
place where he can express his sorrow and his pain in a way that
helps the system.”
