M grew up in the United States, but he always dreamed of serving in the same Israel Defense Forces special unit as his dad. That dream came true for M, who qualifies as a “lone soldier,” the special title Israel gives soldiers who come to Israel without family. But a freak accident in which a fellow soldier picked up an abandoned grenade in the field ended in tragedy for one soldier and seriously injured M.

A helicopter brought him to Hadassah Ein Kerem, where neurosurgeons were able to remove the shrapnel close to his brain.

Even while lying in the neurological ICU, he talked to visitors about biblical Moses and the need to carry out our life missions for the Jewish people. The next day, he was sitting in a chair during a visit by a high army official. Then he was down in the mall, ordering a hamburger. Sorry, but the soldier’s name cannot be revealed. It’s that kind of unit.