Rambam Honors the Fallen Heroes

This morning, Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) honored Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror in its annual Yom HaZikaron ceremony, including 77 brave members of the Rambam family—five of whom fell most recently during the Swords of Iron War.

In an emotional moment, Rakefet Eldor—mother of the late Sgt. First Class Adi Eldor of the Maglan Unit, who fell in battle in Khan Younis in February 2024—was unable to attend the ceremony but shared a video message in which she read a heartfelt piece about a bereaved mother’s struggle to remain present for her other children.

In other video clips, IDF commanders paid tribute to their fallen soldiers, including Lt. Col. (Res.) Netanel (Nati) Yaakov Elkouby and Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi. A clip honoring Sgt. Yoav Daniel was also screened. All three were members of the Rambam family.

Since October 7, 2023 , five courageous soldiers have been added to Rambam's Circle of Grief:

Police Supt. Alexei Shmekalov (34) of the elite YAMAM Unit, fell on 7/10/2023, during the battle for the Sderot police station. He is the son of Yelena Shmekalov, a nurse in Rambam’s Surgical Department.

Sgt. First Class Adi Eldor (21), of the Maglan Unit, fell in Khan Younis on 11/2/2024 He is the son of Dr. Liron Eldor, a physician in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Rambam, and the grandson of Professor Yosef Itzkowitz-Eldor, former head of Rambam's Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, a Rambam Award recipient, and a pioneer in fertility medicine and stem cell research in Israel.

Lt. Col. (Res.) Netanel Yaakov Elkouby (36), commander of the 630th Battalion in the Southern Gaza Brigade, fell on, 12/02/24 in the southern Gaza Strip. His wife, Sarit, is the secretary of Rambam’s Rheumatology Institute. His late mother, Miriam Elkouby z”l, dedicated 41 years to the hospital as head nurse of the Recovery Department.

Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi (22), an officer in the Kfir Brigade, fell on 23/12/2024, in northern Gaza. He is the son of Eti Atedgi from Rambam’s Breast Health Institute.

Sgt. Yoav Daniel (19), a soldier in the elite Golani Brigade, fell on November 13, 2024, in southern Lebanon. He is the son of Shahar Daniel from Rambam’s Radiotherapy Institute.

Rambam stands in heartfelt solidarity with the families of the fallen and with grieving families across the country. Their heroism will never be forgotten, and their memories will be forever etched into Israeli history.

Photo: The faces of five brave soldiers honored at Rambam's memorial ceremony.

Photography: Rambam HCC