Recently, the Perth Jewish Community, as well as Australian Jewry were privileged, more so humbled to witness the stories of two fallen heroes.

The Perth Jewish Community was honoured to host the Klein and Apter families in a night telling of Jewish Heroism. They told the story of their sons, who gave up their lives for the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

One fallen soldier, Roi Klein jumped onto a grenade to save his soldiers; one fallen yeshiva bachur, Noam Apter, locked the door to the dining room faced by terrorists only to save many others.

The night began as Aaron Posner, Bnei Akiva Perth Merakez, provided some introductory words followed by a short movie about Roi Klein’s life, complimented by his mother’s heartfelt talk. A video thereafter was screened about Noam Apter, where his mother and father spoke only to bring tears to one’s eyes. The night’s formalities concluded with hatikva.

Opportunities like this do not come often. There are many stories of fallen soldiers who have died defending the State of Israel. “However, now” says Saul Finberg, “Roi and Noam’s stories are real. They mean something to us. We know who they are; where they came from, and what they lived for”. Finberg continues that “in a world which praises self interest, we witnessed the story of two young men who upheld the Jewish call to care for others more than themselves”.

No longer do Roi and Noam’s names remain a statistic in the history books, “but they become real people and we feel their pain”. We console one another, we cry together, not alone. Australian Jewry were invited into an area of one’s life where most don’t venture. In grieving loss “we learnt how much there is to gain in life, that we may know what it means to live our lives to its full potential and take advantage of every moment”. Roi Klein and Noam Apter define bravery, what it means to give up your life for the State of Israel, to die for the sake of the Jewish people and to have lived your life by the Torah.

“May we all use every moment”, Finberg remarks, “as if it were our last, do everything we dream of for once we will it, it no longer remains a dream. It was an honour”.