Fresh water: springs and observatories in memory of the victims and victims of hostilities

This year we will mark Memorial Day during a war in which, to our great regret, hundreds of soldiers and heroic citizens who gave their lives for the people and the country fell. Those warriors and civilians did not fall for nothing, but so that we could continue to live here and settle the land. Therefore, this year we have the opportunity to connect with these heroes and the land they loved so much through our feet and march in their memory at various sites throughout the country.

As part of an attempt to commemorate and connect closely with the fallen, the "Eshkolot" organization operates a project of free tours for the general public, in the framework of which the organization's certified guides will give training at heritage sites, cemeteries and springs established in memory of the fallen heroes. The tours take place at sites where you can travel all year round, so here are five magical places that you can visit and commemorate those whose death gave us life:

1. The Three Parks – Einat Anar : In the summer of 2014, 3 boys were kidnapped in Gush Etzion and the whole country united in praying for their return, and unfortunately the end was bitter. That same summer, the youth of the Neria settlement started a project to build a spring park in memory of the three 14-year-old boys – to leverage the pain for their children, and to give a memory of the significant event. Between the paths, the agricultural steps and rich vegetation, you can find eight (!) pools of different depths. – The parking lot is about 700 meters before the Neria settlement gate, on the left of the road, from there it's a short walk to the springs.

2. Mitzpe Nimrod is a place with a special, quiet and holy atmosphere located in Rosh Pina. The observatory is named after Nimrod Segev, who was killed in the Second Lebanon War at the age of 28. He was handsome, talented, full of personal charm and love. Nimrod enlisted in the IDF in March 1996 and served in the Armored Corps. In the Second Lebanon War, Nimrod was drafted into the reserves and went to Lebanon with the Merkava tank in which he was used as a load. On August 9, 2006, Tu Bab 5566, he fell in battle in southern Lebanon when his tank, which was being driven by tractors who were paving a new road in the village of Ayita al-Sha'ab, was hit by a side charge and immediately after was hit by an anti-tank missile. The explosion of the missile and the ammunition that was in the tank killed Nimrod and all the members of the tank's crew. His father, Hazi Segev, built the observatory in his memory, with the aim of perpetuating the name of Nimrod and instilling his legacy to all visitors and future generations. Hezi died last November, after devoting his whole life to immortalizing his son Nimrod. Visitors to the observatory are invited to activate a special stand, which tells the story of Nimrod's life and the settlement.

3. Ein Dvir is a wonderful spring, in memory of the late Dvir Mor of Kibbutz Amiad, who died of a violent bacterium after his enlistment in the IDF. The spring was renovated by his teammates and family members and is located between Kibbutz Amiad and Kinneret. Its waters flow from Nahal Korzim and around it there is a fruit orchard, a shade shed, a picnic table and above all peace and quiet. How to get there? Writers in Wiz: Ein Dvir. For those coming from the south: turn right at the Amiad junction to a gas station, then continue straight, north parallel to the road until Shaar Beker. From there you go down to the right on a zipline path to the spring or on foot – about half an hour's walk.

4. Ein Vared is a beautiful spring that fills a round pool shaded by reeds. Around the pool there are benches, an abundant orchard of trees and grass for the benefit of those who arrive. The spring and its surroundings were renovated in memory of the late Itai Steinberger, a son of the nearby Karmi Yosef settlement, who spent a lot of time at the spring and even celebrated his tenth birthday there. Itai fell in the Second Lebanon War while serving in the Armored Corps, at his death he received a TLS for saving a life. "Ein Varda/Ein Vared".

The writer is a guide and educational director at "Eshkolot", an educational umbrella organization that leads about 36 educational centers spread throughout the country.