417. That’s how many days Yona Brief fought for his life after being shot 13 times on October 7th while trying to save his fallen friends in Kfar Aza. 417 days that his parents never left his side. 417 days that transformed a hospital room into a place of hope, filled with music, laughter, and an unshakeable will to live. 417 blood donation units collected in his memory on what would have been his 24th birthday.**

Yona was defined as the most severely wounded soldier of the Iron Swords War. Yet in Room 11 of Sheba Medical Center - which the staff still calls “Yona’s room” - this 23-year-old combat medic with an infectious smile and boundless שמחת חיים taught everyone around him what it means to choose life, even when everything is collapsing. The doctors say they changed their protocols because of him and saved other soldiers because of what his battle taught them.

Today, David and Hazel Brief share the story of their son - a fighter, a peacemaker, and a young man whose legacy teaches us all what it means to truly live. This is Defining Moments with Rabbi David Fine.