When an IDF soldier sustains painful, difficult wounds defending us, we feel it is fitting to show our tremendous appreciation and gratitude in another concrete way. For CTVP that takes the form of a trip of a lifetime they would never otherwise be able to experience. (This is our 13th trip!)
At the end of this month of February 2015, Chabad’s Terror Victims Project (CTVP) will be joining with the leadership and members of the Shul of Bal Harbor to bring ten wounded Israeli soldiers to Miami for the trip of a lifetime.
Rabbi Zalman Lipskar and a delegation from The Shul made a trip to Israel after the recent war 'Operation Protective Edge'. Together with Rabbis Yossi Swerdlov and Menachem Kutner of CTVP, they brought much support and solidarity to the children of Sderot, the soldiers wounded in the Gaza War, and the bereaved families who lost beloved ones in the conflict.
Now, the community is opening its arms to bring these soldiers to Miami. We know the trip will be deeply touching and inspiring for them as it has been for every community that has hosted wounded Israeli soldiers.
We want to introduce you to the young men who will be visiting Miami. Each is a hero whose courage and bravery are beyond measure.
Introducing: The Courageous Israel Defense Forces Soldiers Visiting Florida February 2015
Boaz
22 years old • Jerusalem
Boaz (left) is a platoon commander who led tanks into Gaza during Operation Protective Edge. His battalion was ambushed on July 7 2014. Eight soldiers were wounded including Boaz and his friend Roy (below). They were evacuated by helicopter to Tel Hashomer. Boaz sustained severe injuries to his hands and neck. He has had four surgeries to date. For three months Boaz was in in-facility rehabilitation. He now goes for daily rehab.
Roy
21 years old • Reut
Roy served in the Golani Brigade with his friend Boaz (above). He was a platoon commander. When they entered Gaza in July in tanks, they were ambushed. Eight soldiers were wounded. Roy and Boaz were both evacuated by helicopter to Tel Hashomer. Roy’s had a finger cut off and shrapnel in his back and neck. The doctors saved his hand during a major surgery. His in-facility rehabilitation took three months and now he goes daily to the rehab center.
Eliosf
23 years old • Migdal Oz
Eliosf’s battalion was the first to occupy terror tunnels and the homes of two terrorists in Gaza. Only July 7, 2014, they moved their tank close to one house. Eliosf threw a grenade toward the house which suddenly bounced back into the tank. In a split second decision, he covered the grenade with his body, saving the other 12 soldiers. In a miracle, he survived but was severely wounded. He was evacuated by helicopter to Tel Hashomer, has had four surgeries, and four months of intensive in-facility rehabilitation. He now goes daily to the rehab center.
Eran
21 years old • Even Yehuda
Eran was responsible for supplies and logistics for soldiers fighting in Gaza. On July 28, 2014 he was in a field at a gathering point on the border of Gaza with other soldiers. A mortar shell was fired at them. The group took a direct hit with four soldiers killed and many wounded. Eran took shrapnel in his left eye and the entire left side of his body, as well as injuries to his foot. He was evacuated by ambulance to Soroka where he has had three surgeries. He spent three months at Tel Hashomer for in-facility rehabilitation and now goes to rehab on a daily basis.
Tal
21 years old • Kfar Sava
Tal was a commander in the Golani Brigade. On July 20, 2014, his team exposed and destroyed three terror tunnels. They then received information about four terrorists in a house in Gaza. Tal’s team exchanged gunfire with them. The terrorists threw a grenade followed by five missiles which collapsed the floor of the building Tal and his team were in. Five soldiers were killed, 13 wounded. Tal was taken by helicopter to Soroka and then to Beilinson where he underwent six surgeries. He lost his left eye and has shrapnel wounds in his leg and left hand. He spent three months in in-facility rehabilitation and now goes daily for rehab.
Ron
20 years old • Kibbutz Gesher
Ron was a commander in the Armored Corps. He was with a tank force that entered the Gaza area of Sg’aih to rescue wounded soldiers and reinforce the IDF forces there, which they accomplished. He went back with a combat engineer force to Deir Al Balah to find weapons tunnels. They completed this, and on July 3, 2014 began to return to the Israel border when they were hit by a mortar shell. Five soldiers were killed, ten were wounded, two very seriously, one of them Ron. Amongst other things, he lost his left leg. He was lifted by helicopter to Tel Hashomer for surgery. He received a prosthesis and can now walk with its help.
Noam
26 years old • Kiryat Ata
Noam was a Captain in the Duvdivan Unit. His battalion went to the Khirbet Hazaa area to capture the stronghold of the main Hamas terrorist battalion in the Rafah area. They fought for six days during which they found tunnels and weapons. They then received intelligence about a tunnel that reached all the way to the Israel border. They entered it with a D9 and the terrorists hit it with a rocket. The commander was seriously injured and one soldier was killed. At 2:00 that afternoon, July 28, 2014, a tough battle began lasting for hours. Noam’s battalion killed 15 terrorists. A team entered to evacuate the wounded but ran into a trap. As they were exiting, Noam was hit in the leg. He was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center and after several operations, was moved to Tel Hashomer for rehabilitation. He still undergoes rehab which are expected to last for some time.
Dor
20 years old • Beersheba
Dor served in the Givati unit. On July 24, 2014, his battalion entered Beit Hanoun to search for weapons tunnels and houses where Hamas terrorists were hiding. During a raid on one house, Dor was hit in the leg by a sniper bullet. He was evacuated to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and from there to rehabilitation in Tel Hashomer. He has had three surgeries and will need more. He is presently in rehabilitation.
Mordechai
22 years old • Itamar
Mordechai was in his last week of army service and visiting home. The Gaza War changed everything. He was called back to service because his specialty is vital. He was in a combat engineer unit and drove the D9 heavy tractors that straightened the area so IDF forces could enter Gaza. While waiting for orders to enter, they gathered for a briefing in a field near Kerem Shalom on the border. Suddenly a Roketa missile was fired at the area and exploded. Mordechai, who was the first casualty of the Gaza conflict, was seriously injured with shrapnel penetrating his brain, and severe injuries to his jaw and both hands. He was evacuated by helicopter to Soroka and from there to Tel Hashomer. He has had six surgeries and remains in rehabilitation.
Shmuel
19 years old • Yitzhar
Shmuel AKA Muli is a paratrooper from Yitzhar. On July 21, 2014, his team went on a mission to detect terrorists in Khan Younis. They were met with a hail of bullets and hand grenades. Twelve soldiers were wounded, one of them Shmuel, one was killed. Evacuating Shmuel to safety was dangerous. He was carried by foot, from soldier to soldier, till they reached a stretcher, then, from there, to a jeep that took him to the border where he was helicoptered out to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva. The evacuation took three hours under conflict conditions. Shmuel has two bullet wounds and hand grenade fragments in his leg. He has undergone three surgeries and had platinum inserted into his leg in place of bone. He is undergoing orthopedic rehabilitation in Tel Hashomer Hospital.