The Association
About the Yad La-Shiryon
The Yad LeShiryon Association works to commemorate the fallen of the Armored Corps, to preserve the legacy of the Corps and to pass it on to future generations. The association operates and develops the Yad LeShiryon website in Latrun and serves as a home for the community of armorers in Israel: past and present fighters and commanders, their families, and anyone who holds the legacy of the Armored Corps close to their hearts.
From the first monument to the establishment of the Yad LaShirion site
The Yad LaShirion site began as an initiative of the late Major General Shlomo Shamir, the first commander of the 7th Brigade, who led it in the battles for Latrun during the War of Independence. After the Six-Day War, Shamir began promoting the establishment of a memorial site in the Latrun area.
On the eve of the Yom Kippur War, the first 7th Brigade monument was erected near the Latrun Monastery, topped by a granite stone brought from the Sinai Desert. The stone was later moved to the 7th Brigade monument in the park designed at the Yad LaShirion site.
After the Yom Kippur War, the association was established under the leadership of Major General Shlomo Lahat, Cheech, z"l. Its establishment laid the organizational infrastructure for advancing the vision: creating a national site that would commemorate the fallen of the armored forces, tell the legacy of the force, and serve as a home for the armored forces community.
The development of the site over the years
In 1979, a Sherman tank was placed on the historic police tower. The tank, which became one of the most recognizable symbols of the site, announced to visitors that this was where the armor site would be built.
In 1982, the commander of the Armored Corps, Major General Moshe Bar Kochba, decided to hold the swearing-in ceremonies for the armored soldiers in Latrun. The tradition continues to this day and connects generations of fighters, the legacy of the corps, and the site.
In 1986, the late Major General Moshe Musa Peled was appointed chairman of the association. Musa outlined the vision for the establishment of the site, its development, and its path.
In 1987, the Tank and Armored Vehicle Collection was established on the site, considered one of the largest collections of its kind in the world.
In 1995, the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin visited the site. A few days before his assassination, Rabin laid the cornerstone for the synagogue in the historic police building.
Since then, the association has continued to develop the site as a whole that combines commemoration, heritage, education, research, and community activity.
The association's management
Yad LeShirion is a registered non-profit organization that operates in accordance with the association's bylaws and legal provisions. The association is headed by a chairman and a CEO, and is supported by members of the association's management.
The association has a council, and many of its members participate in professional committees dealing with its various fields of activity. In addition, the association's activities are accompanied by a legal advisor, a treasurer, and an internal auditor.
The association's committees
The professional committees assist the association's management in promoting its goals and managing its various areas of activity. Each committee has members with experience and professional knowledge relevant to its field of activity.
The following committees operate within the association:
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Audit Committee
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Finance Committee
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Education Committee
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Content Committee
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Heritage/Commemoration Committee
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Innovation Committee
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The Information Center Steering Committee
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Recruitment Committee
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Technology Hall Development Committee
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Construction Committee
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"Sherion" Magazine Committee
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Ad Hoc Committee for Memorial Day
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RAKAM Committee
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Scholarship Committee
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Green Energy Project Committee
Message from the Association Chairman
Dear friends and members of the Yad LeShirion Association,
Upon assuming the position of Chairman of the Yad LeShiryon Association, I would like to address you with respect, humility, and great excitement. For me, this is a position of personal, ethical, and national mission. Yad LeShiryon is a home for the fighters, commanders, families, and legacy of a force that has defended and is defending the State of Israel on the most difficult fronts from the founding of the state to the present day.
I served in the IDF for 34 years, from a young armorer to senior command positions, including command of armor brigades, divisions, and force-building units of the ground force. The Armored Corps has always been a way of life for me based on values of responsibility, kindness, striving for contact, and leadership on the battlefield and in life.
Yad LeShiryon will continue to be the home of every armored soldier, fighter, and combat supporter. A home of a glorious past, but no less so – a home of a living present and a future that must be built together. A home for the regular soldier or the reserve, the veteran and the young, for the wounded, for the bereaved families, and for everyone whose identity the armored corps is part of. Everyone has a unique and necessary contribution to the strength of the corps.
The central mission will continue to honor the past, remember the fallen, embrace the warriors, and speak to the younger generation as well. This is a house that connects the legacy of battle with the battle of the future, between the tanks of the past and the battlefield of tomorrow, between the story of heroism and educational and ethical inspiration. An open, relevant, vibrant, professional, and influential house.
The reserve force is the mother pillar before the camp. Reserve fighters and their families deserve deep respect, honor, and recognition for their contribution to the security of the State of Israel.
We are also committed to continued respect and appreciation for the veterans of the Armored Corps and the founding generation, who, through their actions, their armor-related courage, and their personal example, shaped the spirit of the Corps and the spirit of the country.
I take up the position with a deep belief in partnership, listening, and shared responsibility. Together, we will continue to build Yad LeShirion as a leading national home for commemoration, heritage, education, and community.
Together, we will lead Yad LeShirion into the next decade – stronger, more relevant, and more united.
Saar Tzur
Major General (Res.) and Chairman of the Yad LeShirion Association
