Sogrim Ma’agal - Closing the Circle

Commander of Nahal Brigade displaying Or's rifle after retrieving it from Hamas terrorist.

For me, the moments when you realize life has come full circle hold so much meaning. They feel like a validation, where the principles or mission you’ve lived by are suddenly recognized by the world around you. These moments prove that the purpose you’ve pursued has found its place, and that you’ve been on the right path all along. 

I was fortunate enough to experience two of these moments in the past couple of weeks. 

The more meaningful of the experiences happened just this past week. 

As many of you know, my tzevet (team) was finishing its final week in the army on October 7, and concluding a two-month rotation near the Kerem Shalom base in the Gaza envelope. Because it was both a weekend and a holiday, half the team was at home with their families, and the other half remained on base. Since I had drafted early, I was already enjoying civilian life, waiting for the rest of them to be officially released in the coming weeks. When the Hamas attacks began at 6:30 a.m., my tzevet was within a mile of the border fence and among the first units to respond. 

All morning, those of us at home could only follow events through news updates and videos being uploaded in real time to Arab Telegram channels. We couldn’t reach our teammates on base. As the day went on, the true gravity of the attack became clear, along with the news we had feared most.

While fighting for hours with no communication to support units and running low on ammunition, two of my teammates were killed in combat. My officer, Tomer, was killed early in the fighting on the border fence, and Or, my teammate from the very beginning of my service, was killed defending the small outpost where the team had been stationed for months. In their final moments, both Tomer and Or were able to neutralize several terrorists, actions that would help save the community of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Although Or’s body was not taken hostage, his weapon was taken by Hamas terrorists into the tunnels of Gaza. Until recently, its whereabouts were unknown. For context, any time a soldier is killed in combat, all of their personal army belongings, from boots to their rifles, are given to their grieving families as a tribute to their sacrifice. For Or’s family, not receiving his rifle had always felt like a piece of him they would not get back. 

A few days ago, we received a message from Ram in our team group chat. Ram is the last member of my tzevet still in the army and is now a high ranking officer. He told us that earlier that morning, our unit had killed four terrorists attempting to escape a tunnel within the “yellow line”, the territory Israel currently holds during the ceasefire. One of the terrorists was a Hamas commander in Rafah we had tried to hunt down during my last round of reserves. He was, in fact, the one holding onto Or’s weapon. In the video above, the Nahal Brigade commander holds the recovered rifle, explains that it is finally being returned to Or’s family, and says that anyone who attempts to harm us will face the consequences. 

So many pieces of the same story seemed to converge. The terrorist I had been chasing months earlier was the one killed. It was my own unit that finally reached him. And he was found holding Or’s rifle. There was a profound sense of sgirat ma’agal –a full-circle moment.

Just a week earlier, I experienced my own full-circle moment. I currently work for a drone defense company based in Tel Aviv, and flew on behalf of the company to exhibit in Paris. The exhibition brought hundreds of defense and security companies together, displaying all kinds of advanced weaponry, drone systems, and military equipment. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. 

I had a moment where I imagined how little Jacob would react to being in this environment, considering for so long all he dreamt about was being in the military. Now, some years down the road, I feel some things have changed, and some things haven’t. I am just as proud to have served in the IDF, but even more proud to represent Israeli ingenuity on the global stage. I get to play the role of combat veteran while also fueling my passion to be an ambassador for Israel. The experience was also an important reminder that though many are disillusioned with the story of Israel, those in the defense tech world are extremely interested and invested in Israeli tech. 

A few days ago, Germany, who despite earlier weapons embargoes on Israel and widespread anti-Israel protests, just procured the largest order of Israeli missile-defense systems in its history. The deal is worth about $2.2 billion. So sure, the anti-Israel crowds can be noisy and win media screen time, but when the rubber meets the road and real threats, like Russian or Iranian expansionist ideologies, knock on your door, these governments are lining up at Israel’s to secure the top technologies the market has to offer.  

For me, these full-circle moments reflect something larger about our people and our country. They remind me of resilience and continuity, and they show how far we are willing to go to honor our families and defend a world that too often calls for our destruction. They also reveal that Jewish strength is not measured only on the battlefield. It is seen in how we rebuild, innovate, and carry our story forward in every part of our lives.

Me with Or z"l (bottom right), Ram (bottom left, now an officer in Nahal), and Itay (top left, injured on 7/10).