Dear friends,
I'm sorry to update that our friend and colleague Deror Lin (user:Deror_Avi) passed away this morning.
Deror was a truly Wikimedian in blood who poured his heart and soul into the movement in many ways, even in his final days. He joined Wikipedia in 2004 and was one of the founders of Wikimedia Israel. For over 16 years, he served as an active board member.
He was the driving force behind Wikimania 2011 in Haifa and a key member of the Wikimania committee ever since. He led countless programs and projects, both locally and internationally, including conferences, WLM competitions, educational programs, photo and editing contests, and many others.
More than that, he wrote over 8,600 articles on HEWP (comprising more than 2% of it!), making him the number one article writer in HEWP, alongside more than 37,000 contributions to Commons.
For his huge contribution and love for the movement, he was honored last year as the Wikipedia Laureate of 2022.
Deror, you were not just a colleague but a true friend. We worked together on many projects, events, and initiatives over the years. No matter the situation, you always had a smile and shining eyes with your love for Wikipedia.
*On behalf of Wikimedia Israel, I extend our deepest condolences to Deror's family and friends. You will always be remembered, Deror.* *ברוך דיין האמת. Baruch dayan ha-emet*
Itzik.