A Final Tribute to a True Hero

I had never been to a military funeral on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem and pray that I never have to attend another one, after participating in the truly heart-breaking final tribute to Sgt. Major Yona Bezalel Brief, OBM, last week.

For nearly 14 months, dozens of doctors and nurses in Sheba’s Intensive Care Unit waged a 24/7 battle to save this vaunted soldier, who was severely injured as he raced to save his comrades who perished in the October 7 onslaught by Hamas terrorists in Kfar Aza, the same town, where Dr. Ellay Golan and her family nearly lost their lives in trying to save themselves during the desperate battles and were nursed back to health at Sheba.

During the course of Yona’s rollercoaster medical battle, his mother Hazel, would occasionally bunk into me as we waited to get fresh coffee in the morning at one of Sheba’s bakery/coffee shops. One morning, as we discussed Yona’s various medical issues, she looked at me and said, “Steve, I need a hug this morning.” 

I have known the Brief family from Modiin for a number of years. They, like many American olim (including yours truly) made Aliyah to the birthplace of the Maccabees to raise their impressive family.

Judging by the sheer numbers of people who came to the funeral and shiva (including President Herzog), Yona and the Brief family had made a major impact on Israeli society.

Words cannot express the incredible loss they have suffered but as Hazel told me before I left their house yesterday during the shiva,” Steve, we know Sheba did everything they could and he did indeed lived another 417 days!”

As Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, Director General of Sheba Medical Center said at his funeral,”Yona will be remembered as one of the greatest soldiers and combat medics in the history of Israel.”

Read more about Yona in this week’s edition below.