Nadav Nun and Nadav Shin – that’s how Nadav Elchanan Knoller and Nadav Schwartz were known in preschool. The first letters of their last names, nun and shin, helped tell them apart. But to everyone else, they were simply “the Nadavs”: a team, a friendship that lasted more than 25 years.
That was true until July 1, 2024. During his third round of reserve duty, a bomb detonated near Nadav Knoller’s unit in the Netzarim Corridor of Gaza. Nadav, then 30 years old, was killed instantly, alongside Eyal Avnion. Nadav absorbed the blast with his body, saving his comrades. He left behind a wife, a 16-month-old child, his father, siblings, grandparents, extended family, and countless friends.
Nadav grew up across the street from my brother’s family in the Shomron. I heard firsthand what kind of person he was: vibrant, magnetic, and full of life. The word that surfaced most often was “alive.” Nadav lit up every gathering, filling it with simchah and positive energy. He embraced each moment, broke down barriers with ease, and connected effortlessly with people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs.
Nadav Schwartz always dreamed of establishing an agricultural farm in Israel to settle the land and ensure it remained in Jewish hands. He calls this the “new Zionist trend,” a vision rooted in cultivating and protecting the land. Six and a half years ago, on Tu BiShvat, in the middle of winter, he, his wife Bat El, and three others, including Nadav Knoller, established a Jewish presence on an uninhabited mountain and began building what would become Chavat El Naveh. What started with nothing has grown steadily ever since.
Chavat El Naveh lies on government-owned land in the northern Shomron, nestled in a pine forest atop a ridge overlooking the Mediterranean. On a clear day, the view stretches as far as Ashkelon and Haifa. The farm spans 4,000 dunams (nearly 1,000 acres), including open pastures for about 500 sheep.
The Schwartzes moved with their three children to Chavat El Naveh, making it their home. Because permanent building on the mountain is still illegal, they live in a converted truck. Even fences and benches rest on barrels to avoid fixed construction. This creative solution enables the farm to operate within the legal framework while continuing to grow. Yeshivah students and “bnot sherut” (females assigned to national service) volunteer their time to help sustain the farm, which now also hosts weddings and celebrations overlooking the sunset as part of its mission to bring life and joy to the Shomron.
Nadav S. explains that nearly 100 farms exist in Yehudah V’Shomron, spread across vast tracts of land – more than ten times the area of all the settlements combined. He believes these farms bring security.
Nadav Knoller loved Israel and was involved in the farm from its inception. On that first night, he climbed trees to hang projector lights. He devoted countless hours to the farm, supporting the project in every way he could, even launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds.
About a year after Nadav’s death, the Schwartzes built and dedicated Hamirpeset Shel Knoller (Knoller’s Patio) at the heart of the farm in his memory. It’s an inviting spot where chayalim, volunteers, and hikers can relax, drink a cold beer, and charge their phones. The memorial is fitting for Nadav, who was known as a man of connections. He loved meeting people and bringing them together.
The main structure at Chavat El Naveh includes a dining room and a wall unit with sifrei kodesh, where the men daven. The sefer Torah there was in disrepair, but little could be done. That was until about ten months ago, when Eli, Nadav Knoller’s father, received a call from his longtime friend, Nafty Wechsler.
Nafty told Eli that his late father had a sefer Torah in need of repair. An organization called Mantzichim, which restores old, unused, or pasul (invalid) sifrei Torah, had begun dedicating restored scrolls in memory of fallen chayalim. Nafty wanted to restore his grandfather’s sefer Torah in memory of Nadav. Eli was deeply moved and immediately embraced the idea.
Nafty submitted the order form, listing the name of the original owner of the sefer Torah and the name of the soldier to whom it would be dedicated. But something raised questions: Both names were the same. The original owner was Elchanan Wechsler, Nafty’s grandfather. The dedication was for Nadav Elchanan. Was this a clerical error?
What unfolded next stunned them all.
Despite years of close friendship, Eli and Nafty had never realized they were family through Nadav’s mother, Marian a”h. Marian’s mother’s maiden name was Wechsler, and Nadav had been named after her grandfather, Elchanan (Henry) Wechsler. Remarkably, Nafty’s grandfather was also Elchanan Wechsler. Both men were named after a shared ancestor, also called Elchanan.
Everyone was struck by the “coincidence”: a sefer Torah dedicated in memory of a soldier by a donor who, unknowingly, was family. Not only did the donor and honoree share the same name, they also shared blood – a connection that was rooted generations earlier.
This past year, eight babies were named after Nadav, including my niece’s son. His bris milah was performed by the same mohel who had performed Nadav Knoller’s bris milah 31 years earlier, in the very same shul. In fact, Nadav’s bris was the first ever held there. Each baby named for Nadav receives a leather-bound Tanach engraved with the child’s name, a gesture of continuity and hope.
The hachnasas sefer Torah was originally scheduled for June with Mike Huckabee in attendance, but the war with Iran forced its postponement. When the celebration finally took place several weeks ago at Chavat El Naveh, Nadav’s spirit was felt in the place that meant so much to him, among his family and many friends who knew and loved him.
Suzie Steinberg, (nee Schapiro), CSW, is a native of Kew Gardens Hills and resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh who publishes articles regularly in various newspapers and magazines about life in general, and about life in Israel in particular. Her recently published children’s book titled Hashem is Always With Me can be purchased in local Judaica stores as well as online. Suzie can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and would love to hear from you.
