Erez Gerstein

Erez Gerstein was born in 1960 in HaEmek Medical Center

Gerstein was born in Afula in 1960, the eldest of 3 children. His mother came from Syria and his father from Argentina. He grew up on kibbutz Reshafim and volunteered for a service year on kibbutz Harel before the army.

He was drafted in 1979 and joined Shayetet 13, but was dismissed after a year and moved to the Golani Brigade. As an officer in Golani's reconnaissance unit he fought at the Beaufort in the Lebanon War and was wounded. He left the army in 1983 and traveled through the Americas.

He returned to service in 1985 and commanded Golani's reconnaissance unit from 1987 and its 51st battalion from 1989. In 1993 he became a colonel and commanded a brigade in the Lebanon Liaison Unit. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Haifa.

In 1995 he became commander of the Golani Brigade and married Hartel. In 1998 he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the Lebanon Liaison Unit. He was killed in 1999 by a Hezbollah roadside bomb in South Lebanon, together with 3 others.