He was &
still is within us, around us-in every object he touched.
He was, is & will be with us forever.
His name-Amir –means the tree top-which like him is rich with fruits &
leaf.
He gave everyone from his fruits generously. Giving was his middle name, helping,
true friendship and empathy were two of his most prominent characteristics.
Since he was a small child he traveled the country, turned over every rock
and examined every puddle. We hiked at the “Daraje” in the south, at the “Arbel”
mountain – He started with just dipping his toes in the pond and finished
with jumping into the water no matter how cold and windy it was, he was already
in the water checking just how deep they are.
From there the road wasn’t too far to do what he loved so much – swimming.
Already on elementary school Amir was on the “Beit Berl” swimming team.
At the joint picnics for the family & friends Amir organized all the children
& they built a fire. Amir loved the flames & sparks.
Amir loved to create, he built tree houses with his friends. The tree house
was his sanctuary, a little place where he could create, hide from the world
and be with his friends. it was his little patch of heaven.
The risks. Now one had more courage than him, he had some kind of faith in
life.
Fearless he climbed on the highest & dived to the deepest depth. As if
his soul wanted to experience all the possible experiences. Starting with
the common ones such as roller-blades, skateboard, bike, ice-skating, water
skating, rappelling, horse riding, hovering, he visited all the exciting attractions
at “Disney World”, “Disney Land” & “Magic Mountain”.
Since he was ten years old he saved his birthday and Chanukah money to pay
for a ticket to join his parents and travel to Switzerland and Holland, and
who can turn down a request like that. It was a once in a lifetime experience,
which his parents enjoyed very much as well. He visited Canada and traveled
New York with his uncle Shaul, and Washington with his uncle Moshe, the same
uncle he tried to win at squash, every time his uncle came to visit, they
played together, and Amir, who didn’t practice, lost every time. In one of
the last visits, Amir prepared himself, bout equipment and finally beat his
uncle. He came to love the game, played with his friends, practiced survival.
Amir was strong and firm, and lifted his mother high in the air.
Drums were the love of his life, since it got into the house (of course after
years of refusal by his parents) Amir was ecstatic and overjoyed. Drums were
for Amir the return of the joy lost by frustration, and the realization of
a need longed to be fore filled.
Even as a year old infant, learning how to seat, he pulled out pots and pans
out of the closet and started banging on them loudly.
Already at the age of three Amirs’ talent & golden hands were shown, his
parents a bit worried he might be injured, and still he got carpenters tool
kit as a present and with much talent he hammered nails into his little red
stool, the little worker, as if born with tools in his hands, hammered, polished,
sawed. His coordination and talent amazed all the adults.
Soon Amir became the handyman around the house, when the television isn’t
working, or the stereo needs tuning – Amir is you man.
Amir was born at Ra’anana on July 7th 1980 his mother- Tzipi, a physical education
teacher took two years vacation to bring up the "treasure", and
Amir was indeed adorable, golden hair, ocean blue eyes, the kind of boy everyone
looks at and admire. Amir studied at "Hayovel" school, a good boy,
the teachers favorite, the kind of boy that volunteers and helps with an enchanting
smile. In junior high school "Alon", where he spent three years,
he started playing the drums, squash, practicing Ningitsu and hang out with
his friends.
Amir loved studying at "Metro-West" highschool, wonderful friends,
an atmosphere you cant find in other highschools, an atmosphere of freedom,
fun, democracy, friendships, and experiences.
Speaking of experiences, you should have seen Amir, skiing at the "Hermon",
getting on his skies, and in a matter of minutes, daring and fearless, Amir
got to the steep slopes, falling then trying again, and in a matter of minutes
he was already skiing as an experienced skier, much like when he was only
a child, ice-skating, getting on his skates and while the others were still
a bit wobbly, Amir was already in the center, skating on one leg, doing a
horizontal, a spin and a daring exhibition. That's Amir, that's what his soul
wanted. To experience, to try, to feel, just to challenge life.
Amir was a caring person. The kind that wont let his parents down, the kind
who calls almost every day to his grandparents, always gets along with adults,
babies and children. A broad shouldered man whom instantly becomes a child.
He was a fun uncle for Hila & Maya, playing games with them adults wont
dare, creative, visionary, always finding solutions. A child within a man.
The months prior to Amirs’ drafting were upside down. Day became night, night
became day, hiking, visiting his friends, a true joy. As if he wanted to accomplish
it all.
Getting the driver license was the happiest moment in Amirs life, and the
car that brought father Dudu home became a vehicle of acting, or driving,
of bringing. His sister Rotem enjoyed the rides. The fuel gage went wild,
the sort of a car that runs without a gas bill, until the following day. On
weekends as if In November of '98 Amir enlisted to the IDF, eager to serve
in one of Giv'atis’ special units .He indeed passed the trials and got accepted
into Giv'atis’ communication company. Even in hard moments he didn’t break
and was full of eagerness to help and contribute, some kind of inner strength
pushing him forward, the same mental and physical pain resistant strength
ever since he was young.
To his grandmother he would come to "fix up" his army gear on her
sewing machine, becoming an expert tailor during the process, and his grandmother
delighted in the results.
His hurry to do everything and his busy schedule with no idle moment, and
all his great accomplishments. All we have left are the memories, the pictures
he so loved to capture and the albums he documented for us.