As many as 1,500 people attended the annual Belev Echad gala, held at Cipriani in New York City, on behalf of recovering soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, where $5 million was raised for rehabilitation programs.
Dolev Sela, 21, a commando fighter, offered testimony that embodied a spirit of resilience in the face of trials and trauma. A fighter in the Multi-Dimensional Command Unit, he recounted the night that changed his life: Oct. 29, 2024.
“It was a dark night—the kind where you feel your pulse in every inch of your body. We were deep inside Gaza, executing the most critical mission we’d been given: an ambush on terrorists,” he said. “I was the fourth in the force, clearing a building. We made it to the second floor when one of our guys stepped on a wire. The roar of the explosion was all-consuming. I was thrown off the second floor, landing in the rubble. And then—darkness.”
He awoke 16 hours later in the hospital—his world collapsing not just from the shrapnel lodged in his head and shoulder, but from the brutal truth. “My mother was bathing me; my father was feeding me. And I still didn’t know that four of my brothers—Aviv Gilboa, Nissim Meital, Yehonatan Keren and Naor Haimov—were gone, and the sight in my left eye was lost forever,” he recounted.
“The real pain? Understanding that four of my teammates, my brothers, wouldn’t be coming home with me. The shrapnel is a daily reminder; the battle changed. It’s no longer against an enemy but against myself, against the pain and against the immense grief.”
Rabbi Uriel and Shevy Vigler, the founders of Belev Echad, spoke with raw emotion about the commitment required for this work.
“Tonight is more than just a fundraiser; it is a spiritual declaration,” said the rabbi. Our $5 million is the community’s promise that his shattered jaw and Rahamim’s searing pain will never be forgotten.”
His wife stated that “we see the bravery of Elinoy Starkov, who suffers extreme PTSD after the terror of Oct. 7, 2023, and Oria Berdugo, who carries the traumatic memories of evacuating the wounded and the fallen in Gaza. The enemy tried to break their bodies and their spirits. Our job—the job made possible by these 1,500 people—is to restore their souls. We walk with them every single day until their wounds of war truly become hearts of hope.”
And this, she said, is “a debt of gratitude we must joyfully pay.”
Vigler added that “the moment our soldiers arrive in New York, they stop being ‘cases’ and become family. We are not treating a medical file; we are embracing a person, a hero. The bond forged here—away from the hospitals and the war zone—is the quiet, powerful force that allows them to trust again, to hope again and to truly begin healing.”
The most impactful words came from the soldiers themselves, whose presence turned the black-tie optional event into a testament of raw human vulnerability and resilience.
Idan Betzaleli, 21, wounded by a sniper at Zikim: “When I was recovering, I wondered if the world even knew what we were fighting for. Standing here tonight, with so many people who choose to stand with us, gives me the strength I need to face the next surgery, the next day, and the rest of my life. Thank you for giving me my future back.”
Elinoy Starkov, 21, battling PTSD from the base attack on Oct. 7, said that “for a long time, all I heard were the sounds of terror and gunfire. Belev Echad helped me find quiet again. The love shown here reminds me that healing is possible. It’s not just money; it’s a belief in my future, in my ability to live a full life again.”
Dolev concluded his moving address, reminding the audience that even after the deepest loss, the fight for life continues: “I am here today, a warrior. Even after losing sight in my left eye, I see what matters more clearly than ever. I carry my four fallen brothers—Aviv, Nissim, Yonatan and Naor—with me like a compass. Because even when the light seems extinguished, you can always reignite it. Sometimes, it is through the wounded eye that you see life most clearly.”
The funds raised will be immediately deployed to expand the critical work of the organization, ensuring every wounded warrior receives the life-altering medical, legal and emotional support needed to transition from the battlefield back to productive civilian life.
