“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”
Psalm 145:4
Some friendships become part of the story God is writing. They shape who we are, strengthen our faith, and continue influencing our lives long after seasons have changed. For Guy Pochtar, Pastor Israel’s youngest son, that friendship was David Ratner.
The two grew up together at Beit Hallel. They worshipped side by side, served together, laughed together, dreamed about the future together, and shared the kind of brotherhood that only years of walking with the Lord can build. Their families faithfully served in the congregation, and their lives became woven together in countless ordinary moments that, looking back today, have become treasured memories.
Then came October 7, 2023.
As terrorists launched their brutal attack against Israel, David answered the call to defend his country. During the fighting, he gave his life in battle while courageously helping save others. His heroism saved lives, but it also left behind grieving parents, three younger brothers and a sister who looked up to him, lifelong friends, and an entire congregation learning how to live with an empty place that could never truly be filled.
Yet our God has always been in the business of bringing life out of loss.
Today, Guy serves as one of Beit Hallel’s youth pastors, leading a special home group for young men standing on the threshold of adulthood. Some are preparing to enter the Israel Defense Forces. Others have already been drafted. All of them are stepping into a season that will test their faith, shape their character, and influence the direction of their lives for years to come. Week after week they gather around God’s Word, pray together, ask honest questions, encourage one another, and build the kind of brotherhood that will sustain them long after these meetings are over.
Among those young men are David’s three younger brothers.
As they prepare to step into adulthood and military service, they carry more than the hopes and uncertainties every young Israeli feels. They also carry the memory of an older brother whose courage, faith, and sacrifice continue to inspire them every day. There is something profoundly moving about watching them walk this journey surrounded by brothers who knew and loved David, and guided by a mentor who shared that same lifelong friendship. In God’s beautiful way, what was once a friendship has become a ministry of encouragement, discipleship, and hope.
For Guy, this ministry has become far more than leading a home group. It is the calling God has placed on his life—to become a spiritual older brother, mentor, and faithful shepherd to a generation of young men preparing to step into one of life’s most defining seasons. Week after week, he walks beside them, opens God’s Word with them, prays with them, listens to their questions, and encourages them to stand firm in their faith as they prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.
There is something deeply beautiful about the way God weaves these stories together. By faithfully embracing his own calling, Guy is also honoring the life of his closest friend. Not simply by remembering David’s heroism, but by investing in the lives of those David loved most and carrying forward the same message David lived—a life marked by courageous faith, unconditional love, sacrificial service, and wholehearted devotion to God. In many ways, this home group has become a living legacy, where those same values are being planted into the hearts of a new generation.
This is what discipleship has always looked like.
It is one generation strengthening the next. It is older brothers standing beside younger brothers. It is faith passed from one life to another until courage, hope, and conviction take deep root. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). That is exactly what we see unfolding before our eyes.
As we look around that room each week, we cannot help but think about the future God is preparing through these young men. They are tomorrow’s husbands and fathers, pastors and ministry leaders, teachers, professionals, entrepreneurs, soldiers, and faithful witnesses for Yeshua throughout Israel. The conversations around that table today will echo into future families, congregations, workplaces, and communities for years to come.
