The children of Elhanan Kalamanson gathered in the house where he was killed in action in the October 7th massacre to honor him among the 33 Israelis killed defending Be’eri.
In an emotional tribute held in Kibbutz Be’eri, Tal and Hod Kalmanson, children of the late Elhanan Kalmanson, along with his brother Menachem, who also fought in the battle for Be’eri, lit a memorial candle in the very house where their father fell defending the community during the October 7th massacre.
Following the candle lighting, the Kalmanson family and members of Kibbutz Be’eri joined in a moving communal singing of “Lu Yehi” (“Let It Be”), paying homage to Elhanan among the 33 Israelis killed defending Be’eri from Hamas.
Elhanan rushed to Be’eri during the massacre with his brother and nephew and began evacuating civilians from the war zone. The team is believed to have brought approximately 100 Israelis to safety. Elhanan was severely wounded in the battle and pronounced dead a short while later in an IDF field hospital. His grave was the first in Israel’s history to bear the symbols of two security organizations, the IDF and the Mossad.
The intimate ceremony was part of Be’eri’s central commemoration event, organized by the local initiative B’lev Be’eri (“At the Heart of Be’eri”), to honor the memory of the soldiers, police officers, security personnel, and members of the town’s emergency response team who died defending the kibbutz.
Speakers included several bereaved family members, among them Ofra Lax, mother of the fallen Naveh Lax, who spoke of the deep sense of unity and shared purpose that emerged from the tragedy.
Sigal Kraunik, widow of Be’eri’s fallen security chief Arik Kraunik, and Ovadia Naftaliyev, brother of the late Boris Danilov, also addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of solidarity, collective memory, and healing as Be’eri rebuilds.
