Just keep swimming: Chitiz parents honour their son

Every day is tough for the ex-South African parents of slain Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Yaron Chitiz, 23, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Gaza nearly 10 months ago.

This week, as the world marked the one-year commemoration of 7 October, the day that changed everything, the pain of losing him hit harder than ever, deeper, and rawer, if that’s even possible.

“When you lose a child who is prepared to die for our survival, it’s something no-one understands unless they have been through it,” said Debbie Chitiz.

This week, Debbie made sure to keep herself extra busy on 7 October. She did what has become her umpteenth public engagement in honour of the soldiers since her son’s passing, this time at the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Sava.

In honour of the day, Channel 12 aired a poignant documentary featuring Debbie alongside two mothers of fallen soldiers. Remarkably, each of their sons had held the same position as deputy commander of the Shaked Battalion in the Givati Brigade, stepping in for one another and taking over when they were killed. They are united in grief, sharing the same profound emotions and heartbreak.

“The video brings it all back to the surface. Everyone is watching the news today, and will have seen the documentary. Suddenly, you see yourself on screen with photographs of your son, and the memories and pain flood in,” she said.

“Each day isn’t great, but today more so,” said Clive Chitiz, the father of Yaron, who was shot on 26 December, one week before his 24th birthday.

“It has been a trying, testing time, an overwhelming rollercoaster of emotions for the whole family,” he told the SA Jewish Report.

“The kindness of the community has kept us afloat, but it also keeps the wound of Yaron’s passing open. Wonderful, kind people approach me, whether on the street or even at the supermarket, when all I want is to buy a loaf of bread quietly,” he said.

Yaron, the son of Clive and Debbie, both graduates of King David Linksfield, had been away from home for 80 days following the outbreak of war. In a video filmed by his brother, Yaron is seen walking into the family’s home in Ra’anana, catching his mother by surprise. Debbie’s pure, unrestrained joy at seeing her youngest child after weeks apart was a poignant reflection of the emotional weight carried by parents of IDF soldiers. The video struck a chord with many and quickly went viral, touching families far and wide.

The Chitiz family is a well-known, popular, and much-loved family in the central Israeli city of Ra’anana. The family is deeply embedded and actively involved in the fabric of the community.

Honouring his memory is what gives them the strength to endure and the hope they cling to.

There are multiple initiatives created in his name that the family hope will perpetuate the memory of this “happy, smiling, simcha child”, said Debbie, an avid swimmer.

“I get my strength from the water, my family, and my faith, and the order changes depending on the day,” she told the SA Jewish Report.

She’s busy organising a 24km Mediterranean swim in Yaron’s name to take place on Friday, 18 October, from Tel Aviv to Netanya.

“I came up with the idea for a swim during Yaron’s shiva week,” said Debbie.

“We have called it ‘Yaron’s Swim’ and the response has been amazing. Everyone is training hard and posting their progress. It has gone viral. Some swimmers will do 12km,” she said.

The swim is weather permitting but so far, things are on track. It’s a highly organised event, with food stops and support boats accompanying the swimmers throughout the approximately 10-hour swim.

Yaron’s death has triggered dozens of initiatives of chesed and charity. A children’s Bible book which is read on Yom Kippur has been published in his name.

As a die-hard Liverpool supporter, hundreds of car stickers have been printed with the words, “You will never walk alone,” demonstrating his love for the game and the team he supported.

One of his passions was hosting braais for family friends. They are now hosting braais for soldiers at IDF bases throughout the country and on the frontlines in his name, called “Yaroni’s Barbecue”.

The family has set up a nonprofit company, which has raised thousands of shekels to help pay for the braais. They have transformed into significant, festive gatherings for soldiers, featuring music, speeches, and appearances from members of the family.

“This past week, we managed to get 12 volunteers to put together an amazing braai for 250 soldiers in the blink of an eye at a moment’s notice,” said Clive.

“We’re just trying to keep his memory alive, this is our main focus,” said Debbie reflecting on how difficult first experiences can be, like this year’s Rosh Hashanah, when she baked challah for the first time since his passing.

She chooses not to dwell on the sadness, but focuses on how to keep moving forward, knowing that if she doesn’t do something on a good day, she certainly won’t choose to do it on a bad day.

She recently learned that her son had made sure to give each soldier a chance to call their parents to say hello before an operation. Because of this, one mother received a call from her son, which turned out to be their last conversation before he died.

“That was the kind of man he was. He cared about everyone,” said Debbie.