'Had his whole life ahead of him.' Local rabbi remembers New Haven-born IDF soldier killed in combat
Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, a New Haven native, was a soldier of the 890th battalion, paratroopers brigade.
More Stories
Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht of Beth Israel Chabad of Westport/Norwalk is remembering his cousin's grandson, 22-year-old Moshe Yitzchak Hacohen Katz, who IDF officials say was killed Friday night by Hezbollah rocket fire in Lebanon.
"He was very, a very popular and giving individual who always had a smile on his face," Rabbi Hecht says. "He had that kind of -- what you call finesse, charisma... the charisma of life."
Katz, a New Haven native, was a soldier of the 890th battalion, paratroopers brigade.
Rabbi Hecht says Katz joined the IDF following the deadly Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
"Just like my uncle was full of life," Rabbi Hecht says, "This little boy -- who was not a little boy, he was a young man at 22 -- had his whole life ahead of him."
In an emotional Facebook post, Katz's father called it an unspeakable tragedy, saying in part, "...my heart is shattered and the wound is real."
[facebook]https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17ckpA6s7m [/facebok]
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences, saying in part, "We embrace Moshe's family in their difficult hour and wish a swift and full recovery to our fighters who were wounded in the same incident. May his memory be a blessing."
Rabbi Hecht is hopeful there can one day be peace in the Middle East.
"What's going on in Israel right now hits home because it's a relative of mine, but in a sense, every human being is related," Rabbi Hecht says. "Everyone needs to feel a sense of loss when anyone is hurt in warfare or in combat."
