Effi Beniacar

Effi, Efraim Ben Yakar, was born in Sydney, Australia, on 25 January 1994, the son of Theodora and Edmond. He was a brother to Miriam and Ariel and a twin brother to Hezi. As a teenager, he took part in Zionist youth movements and later became a counselor in them. He played the violin, and music accompanied him throughout his life. In 2011, he immigrated to Israel with his twin brother through Garin Tzabar. During that period, the two lived at Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha.

In November 2012, Effi enlisted in the Combat Engineering Corps and served in the Yael reconnaissance unit within Yahalom. He completed a squad commanders course, fought in Operation Protective Edge, and in 2015 was selected for the President's Award for Excellence. After his compulsory service, he remained in career service as chief instructor. When he left the military in 2018, he traveled and volunteered in India with Fighters Without Borders. He later studied physiotherapy and earned a master's degree in public health at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and worked as a physiotherapist.

Alongside his work, Effi loved running, hiking, and photography. A Jerusalem Post article describes his sense of humor, his love of giving, and his willingness to put friends and family first. He met Noa in 2022; they became engaged and planned to marry in the summer of 2026. His family also spoke of his marathon running and his love of hiking and photography, which were part of his world alongside his work and military service.

When the war broke out, Effi was called up for reserve duty and commanded his unit's medical team. During a period of leave in March 2026, he suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to Ichilov Hospital, where he fought for his life for about two weeks. Sergeant major Effi Ben Yakar died during his military service in the war on 27 March 2026, 9 Nisan 5786, aged thirty-two. He was buried at Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery. Effi had signed an ADI organ donor card, and after his death his organs were donated to save patients' lives. His family asked the public to consider signing the card and continuing his tradition of giving. May his memory be a blessing.