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still unconvinced, Elchanan had to prove
they were genuinely Israeli. Sometimes
they started singing Simchat Torah songs,
but he was most successful in convincing
them that he was indeed Israeli when he
recited the Shema. The families would
open the door, hug him, and he would
drive them to safety.
For 14 hours, Elchanan and his team
went door to door, saving over 100 people.
Be’eri is a town of 1,100 people, and army
commandos had arrived by 8:30 am, but
it would take close to 48 hours to clear
the village of all the terrorists, many of
whom had taken Israelis as human shields
and hostages. Tzevet Elchanan entered
a dark house, but a terrorist was inside,
and released a round of bullets. Elchanan Elchanan Kalmanson and his family (PHOTO: COURTESY OF KALMANSON FAMILY)
and Menachem were both hit, and tragi- Otniel is a Religious Zionist community and whomever they were. The residents
cally Elchanan died in Menachem’s arms. in Harei Yehuda, while Be’eri is a secular of Be’eri have comforted the mourning
Together with 85 residents of Be’eri and 26 kibbutz named after Berl Katzenelson, the Kalmanson family, eternally grateful for
policemen and IDF soldiers, Elchanan Kal- Elchanan’s sacrifice. And despite all the
manson had fallen in the battle for Be’eri. divisions, the words of Shema Yisrael were
the code that bound them together, telling
There are hundreds of stories of Israeli
heroism on October 7th. 52-year-old Oz the families Elchanan was one of theirs.
Davidian saved tens of people from the As the Be’eri survivors comforted the
Nova massacre, while 9-year-old Michael “The fact I am alive is only due Kalmanson family, thousands of religious
Idan called the police and hid his 6-year- to Elchanan, and the people like and secular Jews had similar experiences
old sister after his parents had been killed him who came to save us,” said across the country. After years of divide,
in Kfar Aza. But the story of Elchanan Kal- Yochai Ben-Gal from Be’eri. we have been forced to unite, in tanks,
manson encapsulates not only a story of kibbutzim, funerals and shiva homes. As our
individual heroism, but the greater arc of soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder, may
�
the story of October 7th. we see the fulfillment of the verse “�וּנַ ֵחַ ְ� מְּ ַשַׂ
spiritual father of the Labor Zionist move- �וּנַ ָתָיַּנַ ּע תָֹוּמְּיַ ּכִּ, Cause us to rejoice according
�
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Like Elchanan, most of the heroes of this ment. In November 2022, 80% of Otniel to the days that You afflicted us” (Tehillim
day were not dispatched by institutions voted for Tzionut Datit and Likud, while 90:15). Just as we have cried together, may
– the government, the army, or the intel- 80% of Be’eri voted for Labour, Meretz we rejoice together in victory, peace and
ligence – but were simply individuals who and Yesh Atid. They both could be said redemption.
ran into the fire. And these heroes made to be emblematic of two different camps
no distinctions between different kinds that have been at loggerheads for the past
of Jews.
nine months. But when Hamas attacked,
Elchanan drove from Otniel to Be’eri, a it didn’t matter. Elchanan and his team Facing page: Destroyed home in Be’eri (PHOTO: TOMER
distance of 100 kilometers, to save lives. risked their lives to save Jews, wherever PERSICO), Elchanan Kalmanson (PHOTO: YESHIVAT OTNIEL)

The tombstone of Elchanan Kalmanson. According to his brother
Menachem, Elchanan was the first person in Israel’s history to
have two symbols on his headstone – that of the IDF and that of the
Mossad. He was a Major in the IDF, and his position in the Mossad
remains classified.
(PHOTO: MENACHEM KALMANSON)

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