ATLANTA — One of the Israeli soldiers killed during the war lived here in Atlanta. He participated in a program called ShinShinim.

It’s a year of service program that offers Israeli high school graduates an opportunity to meet young Israel ambassadors in the United States before serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

Dekel Swissa, 23, was a member of the Golani Brigade in Israel. He was killed last week while fighting in the war in Israel.

Marcy Kalnitz and her family hosted Swissa in 2018 during his stay in Atlanta. He just graduated high school.

“He was genuine and with a good heart and sweet and kind and loving and caring. He cared for us and loved us, and we loved him, and we have an amazing time with him in our house,” she said.

Kalnitz said Swissa was in Atlanta and a part of the ‘Year of Service’ program. That program offers Israeli high school graduates an opportunity to delay mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces. He stayed with both the Kalnitz and Hass families, before returning to Israel to join the military.

Cheryl Haas said Swissa was like a part of her family.

“We were his first host family when he came to America, so we had the opportunity to kind of introduce him to America and American culture and Atlanta. He’s such a genuine, sweet, good nature person always.”

Haas still can’t believe that he’s gone. She recalls the moment that she got the news.

“It was awful. It’s just so tragic to think that someone who had such incredible potential and was really a lover of all people,” Haas said. “In some ways, it’s amazing that he died defending his country and saving so many people in his own unit. In other ways, it’s impossible to comprehend that he’s no longer with us.”

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