By Gabriella Gomperts, Senior Features Editor
Staff Sergeant Lavi Lipshitz was a Modi’in native who served in the Givati Brigade’s elite reconnaissance unit. He was a talented photographer and videographer, and he was 20 years old when he was killed in battle in Gaza on October 31, 2023. I first came across Lavi in a video he made that went viral soon after his death. In it, he filmed and edited his daily life as a combat soldier in the style of a Wes Anderson film. I then found his Instagram, where he posted photos taken during his service, revealing the hidden beauty in the minutia of army life. I was struck by his creativity and artistry.
I soon found his obituary in The Times of Israel, where part of a note that he left behind for his family was published. “I ask you not to sink into grief. It may be daily and exhausting, but the action that can grow from it, it is not exhausting, but constructive,” he wrote. “Nothing is more difficult for me than idleness, so I ask everyone around me — always be doing something.”
His words struck a chord with me during a time of emotional pain and personal reflection. In the aftermath of Oct. 7, what was I doing to help? Lavi’s urging to “do something” pushed me out of my funk and inspired me to take action.
Though I felt somewhat restricted in New York, I made plans to travel and volunteer in Israel during winter break. I took up writing for the YU Observer as a way to keep busy and help process things. I really connected with journalism for a time, and believed that was my career path. I even spent the summer of 2024 interning at an English-speaking news site in Beit Shemesh, where I was able to interview Oct. 7 survivors and report on causes I really care about.
But even then, I felt drained. I started to dread the reporting and writing process. Even though the act of journalism was something important and tangible, I didn’t feel proactive enough in enacting change. Education and the dissemination of information is hugely important, but I came to realize that it wasn’t for me. I was at a loss as to what to do, but I still had a desire to do something. I just wasn’t sure what that was yet.
In the summer of 2025, I had plans to travel to Israel with my family for my cousin’s wedding and then take part in an archaeological dig for a second time. I landed in Israel at 3:00 PM on June 12, and by 3:00 AM that night, my family and I were in the safe room awaiting a retaliatory missile attack from Iran. After a stressful two weeks running to safe rooms and bomb shelters, I decided to cancel my plans and go back home to Los Angeles.
On a whim, I started working at a local day camp for 4- and 5-year-olds. I had a surprisingly amazing experience, and though I was worked to the bone, I found that I loved keeping busy, interacting with people and being helpful. There was always something that needed to be done, whether it was playing with the kids, settling a dispute between campers or setting up the next art project.
I loved having a job with real interaction and expectations. I had a sense of purpose and I felt energized and rewarded at the end of a hard day, not drained like I do when I sit at a computer. As I look back, I realize this was true of other physical group activities I took part in, like excavating on the archaeological dig, volunteering on a farm and even playing high school soccer.
As I entered my final year of college, I narrowed down my career options, with the understanding I now had of myself and my strengths. After doing more research and volunteering, I decided that I am going to pursue a career in social work. Be’ezrat Hashem, I’m planning to attend Wurzweiler’s Israel Block Program starting this summer. This program allows me to take classes at YU’s Wilf campus in New York during the summer and complete field work in Israel during the school year. The beauty of this program is that participants get certified to practice social work in both Israel and the United States.
I’m excited to begin this new chapter in my life, but I have to give credit to Lavi. When I really needed the push to do good and to try new things, his request to “always be doing something” found me. Without that encouragement, I don’t know if I would be on the path I’m on today. I wish I could’ve met him, and thanked him.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gabriella Gomperts