Discovering a Son's Bravery Through Unimaginable Loss

Dina Gedalia treasures a video taken 20 minutes before her son Yosef Malachi’s death, offering a rare glimpse into his bravery during a battle in Kfar Aza. Yosef was the fifth of seven children and recently married Sini, a newcomer from the United States. They had just celebrated their anniversary near the time of his untimely passing.

The video she received was from a body cam of an officer also fighting in Kfar Aza. It documents a civilian shot in the chest by terrorists, lying bleeding for hours. Yosef appears, suddenly arriving with his friend, Or Yosef Ran, to rescue the wounded civilian, transporting him to waiting medical support. This clip is just a snippet of Yosef's relentless three-hour efforts, consistently engaging in rescue missions, until his own injury and death.

Yosef Gedalia

“I’m Out”

“On Simchat Torah, we were in Jerusalem,” Dina begins. “It’s a tradition from my husband's side to celebrate together there. Our extended family, over a hundred people, holds communal prayers for the holiday.”

This celebration marked Yosef’s last supper with them. “His last conversation with his brother, after the holiday meal, was about how to bring closer the redemption and what could be done for it,” she recalls. “The Beit Hamikdash always occupied his thoughts. When Yosef was ten, my husband began a tradition during Sukkot and Passover where we’d leave Beit Shemesh on foot, walking 40 kilometers to the Kotel. Initially, this took ten hours, but we've found shorter ways, reducing it to eight. Yosef loved this journey, bringing more and more people along each year.”

Yosef had a fervor for hastening the redemption, avoiding *lashon hara* (evil speech). His friends remembered how he’d excuse himself from conversations that didn’t promote the Beit Hamikdash, saying, “Sorry guys, but I’m out—this isn’t helping.” Everyone deeply respected him for this.

Yosef guarding the visit of Biden

The Last Blessing

The serene holiday was disrupted at dawn. Yosef, part of the elite Duvdevan unit specializing in counter-terrorism, was scheduled for a specific mission later in the day. By eight a.m., his commander alerted him about a large security threat in the south. Although the extent of the situation was unclear, and the mission was pending, Yosef decided not to wait. Dina managed to catch him exiting the synagogue, blessing him quickly, “May His angels be enjoined over you,” along with the Priestly Blessing. He donned his uniform and hurried to Kfar Aza.

In Kfar Aza, Yosef united with Duvdevan soldiers who also arrived independently. In his role, he specialized in drone operations, providing vital situational awareness. Dina explains Yosef’s dedication to enhancing the unit’s skills and readiness. Even at the village, Yosef attempted to deploy his drone, which was subsequently shot down by friendly forces. He urgently radioed in to ensure IDF awareness of their drones, preventing his later abduction.

Yosef's last footage assisting a wounded person

Operating with other Duvdevan soldiers, they rescued the injured and combatted numerous terrorists. The initial video footage illustrates just a fraction of their action. Dina recounts how in his final entry into the battle, Yosef and his comrades tackled the youth neighborhood in Kfar Aza, notorious for previous abductions.

“Yosef stood in the back, his weapon ready, firing towards terrorists. They saw an abandoned RPG and chose to seize it. An ambush was set, an RPG fired at them, setting their vehicle aflame,” Dina narrates.

The four soldiers leaped from the vehicle, two without their rifles stuck inside. Yosef was one of them. Grenades and bullets hailed upon them. When the smoke cleared, one was dead—Or Yosef Ran—and Yosef Gedalia was missing.

“Sending Mother’s Love”

Three hours later, another Duvdevan team from Yosef’s drone unit arrived. They deployed a drone to manage the chaos. “Thanks to Yosef's order coordinating drone use with the air force, their drone wasn't shot down,” Dina says.

The drone captured footage near the village gate of terrorists dragging a body. At first, it was unclear whether it was a soldier or a disguised terrorist due to uniforms. But then, they noticed a *tzitzit*, confirming it was their comrade. Dina shares that Yosef was diligent about this mitzvah, always wearing it, even under grueling conditions.

Once they realized the reality, a heavy Golani vehicle arrived, thwarting the abduction by divine grace.

Yosef and wife Sini

What happened with Yosef before the drone identified him?

“This part remained a mystery. We slowly pieced events together. For months, I woke in the night, plagued by questions: What happened in those hours? Was he alive? Did he die there?

“I’ve since learned to send my motherly love to that moment. A mother's love transcends time and space. I couldn’t protect him then or be there, but I learned to return mentally, which brought peace, helping me sleep.

“I am grateful Yosef wasn’t abducted, while my heart aches for those without a burial place yet. At his memorial, I expressed gratitude to Hashem for giving us a place to mourn. We narrowly avoided a different fate.”

Yosef with parents

Music of the Heart

A year ago, the Gedalia family discovered another connection.

In a post sent to their eldest, a soldier who fought in Kfar Aza opened up about that day. “Silent for a year, he finally shared his story. Trapped in Kfar Aza during Simchat Torah with comrades, they failed repeatedly to escape, meeting heavy gunfire each time.

“Desperate, they tried progressing but miscalculated the terrorists lurking beyond the gate. As they were about to leave safety, a soldier dashed out—from their cover no less—armed with only a pistol. The soldier in the post writes about seeing a lone hero who cleared their path by extinguishing multiple threats, before tragically succumbing to the unseen”.

Dina’s son then found out the post’s author was their neighbor's son, someone familiar to them.

Yosef with his mother

Yosef's wedding day

“Let me share something. Due to the number of casualties, it took two days before we could bury Yosef on Mount Herzl. During this time, I considered what to say at his eulogy.” She notes how constrained they were with only 30 minutes for the funeral, requiring her speech to be a mere minute.

“At the eulogy, I said I didn’t see myself as a bereaved mother. The term didn’t resonate. For me, ‘the joyful mother of children’ felt fitting.

“I mentioned Serach bat Asher, who sang to Jacob, ‘Joseph is still alive.’ I shared that this is my inner melody, sustaining me: the song of ‘Yosef is still alive.’

“Even now, I sing to my heart ‘the joyful mother’ and ‘Yosef is still alive,’ believing in the redemption to come through righteous women.”