Prayers at Southgate synagogue for soldier killed by Hamas

Nathanel Young went to school in Southgate and his family remain members of Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue

Prayers for Nathanel Young (inset) at Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue on Tuesday

A Southgate synagogue has held a prayer service for a soldier killed by Hamas who grew up locally.

Nathanel Young was born in Southgate to Nicky (Nicol) and Chantelle Young, an Orthodox Jewish family who are members of the Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue, where Nathanel had his barmitzvah.

The youngest of five children, Nathanel attended Wolfson Hillel School in Chase Road, Southgate, before later attending the Jewish Free School in Kenton. He moved to Israel in 2021 and joined the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in July this year, where he became a member and corporal of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion.

Nathanel, aged 20, returned home to North London this summer to spend time with his parents, before returning to Israel last month. Hamas launched a wave of terror attacks on the country beginning on Saturday, when Nathanel was killed on the border with Gaza.

Daniel Anderson, a former deputy leader of Enfield Council, is a friend of the Young family and had known Nathanel since he was a child. He said Nathanel was “a talented DJ, showcasing his skills both on the military base and at popular clubs in Tel Aviv” and that he intended to pursue a career in music after serving with the IDF.

“He also excelled in basketball and soccer and loved his pet dog, Oreo,” said Daniel.

The book of remembrance for Nathanel Young at Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue

Nathanel’s parents live in Osidge Lane but had been making plans to move to Israel to join their children. They were in France with family celebrating both Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish festival, when they were informed of the tragic news of Nathaniel’s death.

Nathanel was laid to rest with honours at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Ashkelon, Israel, on Monday (9th) in a funeral attended by his family and more than 2,000 mourners.

On Tuesday (10th) memorial prayers for Nathanel were read at Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue in Old Farm Avenue, Southgate. A book of remembrance is now open there for people to sign.