Injured Soldier Honors Fallen Commander by Running in Marathon

By Akiva Horvitch

Master Sergeant Y., a combat soldier in the IDF’s Multidimensional Unit who was seriously wounded in a firefight in Jabalia, took part in the 2025 Jerusalem Marathon on Friday, April 4th. He ran with the official rehabilitation team from the Gandel Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus, alongside fellow patients and medical staff, running together for recovery, hope, and new beginnings.

“I Dedicate This Run to Hod, of Blessed Memory, and to My Team”

Y., 23, from Jerusalem, was shot while attempting to rescue his company commander, Hod Schreibman of blessed memory, during a ground operation in Gaza. He was evacuated under fire and flown by helicopter in critical condition to the hospital.

After undergoing complex surgery and months of intense rehabilitation, the determined soldier was able to run with Hadassah’s rehab group, which included fellow wounded soldiers, police officers, and civilians—some injured in combat, others in civilian incidents.

Rehabilitation with a Goal – ‘Someone to Run With’

The initiative to create a rehab running group for the marathon began with Ayala Hirst, a physical therapist at the center, who encouraged patients to set a meaningful goal: running in the Jerusalem Marathon. The initiative was named ‘Someone to Run With‘, inspired by the novel by David Grossman, who personally gave his blessing to the project.

“The goal was to allow patients to train alongside their care teams, to aim for something real, and to mark the journey they’ve gone through,” Hirst explained. “It’s a moment of celebration—for them and for us, their therapists.”

Over the past several weeks, dozens of patients—many of them soldiers injured in Gaza—trained for the event, pushing through physical and emotional challenges. Some arrived with bandages, crutches, or visible signs of recent injuries.

One soldier, One Journey—and Recovery that Doesn’t Stop

Y. described his decision to run as a turning point in his healing: “When I heard about the running group, I knew it was for me. I went through surgeries, injuries to my arm and leg, but the team kept pushing me forward. Every day someone else trained with me—and I made it. It’s a symbol of my recovery.”

The Gandel Rehabilitation Center was built at Hadassah Mount Scopus on an accelerated schedule after the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war and opened in January 2024. Since then, hundreds of wounded individuals have received care there—many of them still undergoing intensive rehabilitation on their way back to everyday life.