Niot Watzman, in memoriam

Niot, son to Ilana and Haim Watzman and brother to Mizmor, Asor, and Misgav, was born on Jan. 24, 1991 (9 Shevat 5751) at Kibbutz Tirat Zvi and grew up in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood. He attended Dror High School and spent a year at the Keshet Yehuda pre-army program.

Niot faced a number of challenges in his life, among them learning disabilities. Despite the difficulties and frustrations this caused him, he persevered and overcame them. In doing so he found self-confidence and joy in who he was, and these gave him an exceptional ability to understand other people’s inner lives. He was a joyful and funny person. At home, in school, and among his friends in his pre-army program and army unit, he was the “glue,” the one who knew how to attach people to each other and to teach them to understand one another. Unlike many young men of his age, he did not hesitate to express his feelings, which were mostly of love and empathy, and knew how to elicit such expressions of emotion from others.

After completing the pre-army program, in August 2010, he enlisted in Battallion 13 of the Golani Brigade. He was a devoted and conscientious soldier who did much to help his buddies, especially the unit’s “lone soldiers,” those who had come from overseas to serve in the IDF and had no families in Israel. After completing his training he was sent home on sick leave to have a small operation and to seek treatment for knee pains. During Pesach 2011 he went with three friends to engage in one of his hobbies—scuba diving in Eilat. An accident took place during a dive and he was mortally injured. He died on Saturday, April 23 (19 Nissan) at the age of twenty.

On these pages you will find pictures, stories, memories, and eulogies that tell about Niot’s special qualities, achievements, and his devotion as a son, brother, friend, and soldier. You will also find information on the projects the family and community are carrying on in his memory.

Eulogy for Niot by Haim after 4 years
Eulogy for Niot by his brother Asor after 4 years

Ilana’s eulogy, after 6 years

Misgav’s eulogy, after 6 years

In Niot’s memory, his family has established, in cooperation with the Society for the Advancement of Education, the Niot Project to help teenagers with learning disabilities and ADHD. We have prepared a brochure explaining the project, and more detailed information is available on the Society for the Advancement of Education website. A brief film on the project can be seen here.

We would be happy to have your support for this important project. Donations may be made in the following ways:

In the USA: Contributions to the Niot Project, tax-deductible in the US, can be made on-line through American friends of Kidum. If you are making an on-line donation, please designate your contribution for the Niot Project using the pull-down menu below the box where you state the amount of your donation.
If you prefer to mail a check, please make it out to American Friends of Kidum and designate it for the Niot Project on the check’s subject line or with a cover letter, and send it to:
American Friends of Kidum, 59 East 54th St., Suite 72, New York NY 10022

You may also donate in US currency US currency via Paypal.
Please choose “The Niot Project” in the “use this donation for” dropdown menu.

In Israel: Tax-deductible contributions to the Niot Project can be made in the following ways:

By mailing a check made out to the Society for the Advancement of Education (Address: P.O. Box 16252, Jerusalem 91162, Israel). Please write “Niot Project” on the check’s subject line or attach a cover letter designating it for the Niot Project.

Donate on-line via Jgive.

Donate on-line in Israeli currency via Paypal.
Please choose “The Niot Project” in the “use this donation for” dropdown menu.