The heartbreaking stories of fallen IDF soldiers continue to emerge. Each story is not only about a bereaved family carrying lifelong pain but also about young lives tragically cut short. Staff Sergeant Ido Zano, a combat medic in the Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade, was only 20 years old when he died.
He fell a month ago in Jabalya in northern Gaza after an anti-tank missile was fired at him. The devastating event claimed his life and those of three other soldiers, with 12 others from the battalion wounded, three of them seriously.
Zano, a handsome young man from Neve Monosson in Yehud, attended the city’s high school. He loved surfing and was an avid fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer. His father, Yossi, shared that Ido wasn’t required to serve in combat due to a medical issue, but he insisted.
“He loved the army and was determined to contribute and serve in the best way possible,” he said. He added that Ido was so dedicated to his military service that he didn’t want to take breaks to leave Gaza, preferring to stay with his unit at all times.
The news of Ido’s death struck Yossi, his wife Keren, and their three other children — Omer (13), Shalev (23), and Shira (12) — like a thunderbolt. “The last time I saw him,” Yossi recalled, “was two weeks before he was killed. It was a Saturday evening before he returned to base. I didn’t even really get to say goodbye.”
The family is now seeking to renovate a space to commemorate Ido in the most meaningful way. “Ido’s House of Joy,” a community center and event venue in Yehud that has already received all necessary municipal approvals, will serve as a venue for joyous events once sufficient funds have been raised for its renovation.
The family envisions it as a beacon of unity and celebration. “This is Ido’s legacy to us. We decided to create something happy in his memory. Ultimately, that’s what we want everyone to remember about him. It’s what will remain of him, and our goal is to continue spreading goodness as he loved to do for others.”
“Ido was always a people person,” Yossi said. “He was a cheerful child who loved bringing people together, even if there seemed to be no connection between them. He was always beloved, deeply connected to family, and surrounded by many friends. He was constantly smiling."
"During the mourning period, one of his school friends told us that she had endured severe social ostracism during middle and high school, and Ido was the only one who spoke to her. She didn’t know how she would have survived without him. That’s why we feel it’s so important to continue his legacy of connections and joy. We want a place where people can come and celebrate, a hall that will serve the local community for anything they need. We know he would have loved it.”
Last Tuesday, the family marked the end of the thirty-day mourning period. “On Wednesday, we visited Ido’s grave, and on the following Thursday, we wore tefillin for the Bar Mitzvah of his younger brother Omer. Last Shabbat, we observed his Bar Mitzvah,” Yossi said.
“It’s an unimaginable whirlwind of emotions and an emotional rollercoaster timed this way.” When asked how they are coping over the past month, Yossi explained that friends have constantly surrounded them. “This past month was like a thirty-day shivah. Our home has been full of people all the time.”
Ido’s greatest dream was to travel to Thailand with his friends after completing his military service — a dream he didn’t live to fulfill. The night before he was killed, he was still planning the trip with one of his close friends. Now, the family asks anyone who can help to contribute to funding “Ido’s House of Joy” — a unique memorial that will bring joy, unity, and meaning to Ido’s hometown, inspired by his unconditional love.
The link for donations is https://giveback.co.il/project/81928.