Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced today (Tuesday) that the Israel Prize for Citizen Heroism will be awarded to Menachem Kalmanson and Iti'el Zohar, members of "Team Elchanan."
Menachem, his brother Elchanan ob"m, and their cousin Iti'el Zohar left their home in Otniel on October 7 to save the lives of residents in the Gaza Perimeter during the attack. Although they were told that they weren't needed, they arrived at Kibbutz Be'eri and entered the besieged kibbutz time and again for many hours, saving dozens of residents. In the last house they entered, an ambushing terrorist fired on and killed Elchanan.
In the wake of the war, Minister Kisch decided that the Israel Prize would be awarded this year to Israeli citizens who demonstrated inspiring solidarity, demonstrated exceptional heroism, breathed hope into the People of Israel, and made a significant contribution to repairing the terrible rift that befell us on October 7, 2023.
"I had the honor to speak this morning with the families of Menachem Kalmanson and Iti'el Zohar and inform them of the awarding of the Prize," Kisch said. "I thanked them for this wonderful family and the incredible heroes who came from them, serving as a beacon of heroism for all of us and a source of national unity and pride. We are a nation of heroes; the winners are part of a long list of heroes who gave their lives for the nation and the homeland and we must not forget that."
