On Black Saturday, October 7, 2023 — Israel’s longest war in history, the Swords of Iron War, began. This morning, hundreds gathered at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) to remember, commemorate, and mourn the events of the past two years.
Dr. Liron Eldor with Professor Michael Halberthal. Photography: Rambam HCC
The ceremony opened with the lowering of the Israeli flag to half-mast. Professor Michael Halberthal, Rambam’s director general — concluding his term at the end of October — spoke of the dedication, burden, and resilience demonstrated by Rambam staff throughout national crises: wars, military operations, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rambam, too, has not been spared from sorrow. Halberthal acknowledged the profound grief of staff members who lost loved ones during the Swords of Iron War. With heavy hearts, we remembered our fallen heroes — the beloved sons of devoted staff: Captain Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, Sergeant Yoav Daniel, Police Superintendent Alexei Shmekalov, Lieutenant Colonel (Reserves) Netanel Yaakov Elkouby, and Sergeant First Class Adi Eldor.
Tears filled everyone's eyes as Dr. Liron Eldor, a physician in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, spoke about his son Adi z”l, who served in the elite Maglan unit and fell in combat in Gaza. Rachel Tzarfati, mother of Ofir z”l—abducted from the Nova Festival and whose body was recovered in a military operation—shared her son’s story, touching the hearts of all present. Though their messages were steeped in unbearable grief, they also reflected hope — that the sacrifice and terrible cost were not in vain.
Professor Halberthal concluded his remarks with a call to the nation to heal the dangerous divisions within—a necessary step toward the recovery of Israeli society.
During the war, 918 soldiers fell, 1,169 civilians were murdered, nearly 30,000 were physically wounded, while countless others continue to bear emotional scars.
