Oren-Shlomo Saadia

Oren-Shlomo Saadia was born in Kiryat Shmona on 18 September 1970, the son of Mary and Yoram and the brother of Zion and Inbal. He attended Korczak Elementary School and Danziger High School, where he chose the sports track. His school's memorial page recalls his radiant smile and curls and describes the care he showed for the people around him. Oren was the father of two children, whom the school describes as the center of his world, recalling the love and devotion with which he raised them.

During his regular service, he was a combat soldier in the Paratroopers' 202nd Battalion. He remained close to soldiers throughout his working life: first, he worked at the Hatzafon hotel for soldiers, and later he moved to Eilat and managed the Soldiers' House. In both places, he is remembered for the attention he paid to their needs and his warm welcome. In the final years of his life, he moved to central Israel. He supported Beitar Jerusalem, and going to the team's matches was also an activity he shared with his children.

During the Swords of Iron war, he volunteered for reserve service in the Hiram Formation. According to the ORT memorial page, he served in the 9263rd Battalion as a company sergeant major in a combat role and accumulated more than three hundred days of reserve service. His friends remembered the joy he brought to the battalion and his contribution to morale. He received a certificate of excellence for his service, and when his family asked him to rest, he wanted to stay alongside the battalion. His commitment to his service and his comrades holds a central place in both memorial pages describing his life.

During operations in Lebanon in December 2024, he took part in recovering comrades who had been killed and witnessed harrowing scenes, as described in the memorial sources. On 18 Tevet 5785, 18 January 2025, he fell during his service in the war. He was fifty-four and was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Holon. He left behind his two children, his parents, his brother, and his sister. Those who loved him wrote of a man of generosity and kindness who sought to bring goodness and joy into the lives of others. May his memory be a blessing.