Master Sgt. (res.) Nadav Elchanon Knoller, age 30, fell in Gaza on July 1, 2024
Nadav Elchanon Knoller lived by the motto he set as his WhatsApp status: “The day will come when your life will flash before your eyes. Be sure it will be worth watching.” Those who knew him say he truly lived every moment “200 miles an hour.”
Nadav, a reservist in the IDF, was killed in combat in the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza after serving 200 days of reserve duty. He was 30 years old, the husband of Hadar, and father to a 16-month-old son, Yaer. He is survived by his father Eli, mother, four siblings, and countless friends, cousins, and extended family.
Born and raised in Karnei Shomron, Nadav struggled in traditional academics, but thrived in life. As a teenager, he and a friend raised sheep in the hills of the Shomron, and he never lost the dream of a farm. Years later, that dream became a reality with a friend who continues to live there today with his family and a flock of 500 sheep. A deck overlooking the Shomron, Mirpesset Shel Knoller, was built in Nadav’s memory.
Nadav earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and economics from Ariel University and worked as a regional manager at a large Israeli communications company when the war began. Previously, he had spent months selling sukkahs in New York to fund his post-army trek through South America. During that time, he became so close with a Hasidic travel companion that the man later named his son Nadav Elchanon in his honor.
He was remembered by his father Eli—who grew up in Riverdale and is Director of Development at Laniado Hospital in Netanya—as “the life of the party,” a people-person who effortlessly connected with everyone he met and often played matchmaker. In that spirit, friends have since launched a matchmaking initiative in his memory. Laniado Hospital is also naming a bay in its new missile-protected emergency room in his honor.
Nadav’s deep connections extended to the U.S., where he frequently visited family in Teaneck, New Jersey. His uncle and aunt, Marc and Naomi Knoller—members of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun—shared a close bond with him. After his death, community rabbis from Teaneck who visited Israel were moved by the story of Nadav’s friendship with his commander, Eyal, a soldier with whom he disagreed on nearly everything—religion, politics, and even soccer teams. Yet they became inseparable during quiet nights on duty. Both fell together on July 1, symbolizing a deep unity in life and death.
Nadav believed deeply in the mission of the war, telling his family, “This is one country, one army, and we are all in this together.” Despite his religious and political views, he never let differences get in the way of brotherhood.
Just weeks after his passing, Nadav’s sister was married. His family, straddling grief and celebration, continues to find strength in his legacy. “The last thing Nadav would want would be for us to be down or to stop living our lives to the fullest,” his father said.
May his memory be a blessing.
** The information on this page is part of the 'Yizkor' commemoration project by the Ministry of Defense / the 'La'ad' website by the National Insurance Institute, in memory of the fallen. We strive for accuracy and apologize for any errors. For corrections or comments, please contact us here: https://aaciremembers.org/contact-us/ *
