New Book Honors Fallen IDF Soldiers, Highlighting Historic Female Paramedic
A new book titled \"Perkei Banim\" honors fallen IDF soldiers through their writings, featuring a poignant essay by Ayala Dekel on Sergeant Agam Naim, the first female soldier killed in Gaza.
A new book titled "Perkei Banim" (Chapters of Sons), authored by Rabbi Shay Piron and Yakov (Jackie) Schimmel, preserves the voices of fallen young soldiers through their personal insights, values, and worldviews. Inspired by the rabbinic text "Pirkei Avot", the volume compiles the sayings and life stories of dozens of fallen soldiers, transforming memory into a source of ongoing study and public discourse.
Among the guest contributors to the volume is Ayala Dekel, who penned a commentary reflecting on the legacy of Sergeant Agam Naim. Serving as a combat paramedic with the 401st Brigade's 52nd Battalion, Naim was the first female soldier to fall during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip. On September 17, 2024, during an operation in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, an explosive device detonated inside a building where her force was stationed. Naim and three other soldiers were killed in the blast at the age of 20.
Remembering Agam Naim
In her guest essay, Dekel explores Naim's core philosophy through the biblical paradigm of Nachshon ben Aminadav, who stepped first into the Red Sea. Dekel writes: "She would say: 'It is possible in the world, it is possible for me.' Standing before a hall filled with officers, we studied the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites stood trapped at the shore, pursued by Egyptian forces, hesitant to take the first step. It was Nachshon who leapt forward, entering the sea until the waters parted."
Dekel draws a direct line from Nachshon to Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl, and ultimately to Agam Naim. Herzl wrote in his diary in 1897 after the First Zionist Congress: "In Basel I founded the Jewish State... If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. Perhaps in five years, certainly in fifty, everyone will know it." Despite external skepticism, Herzl maintained his inner compass, much like the female combat soldiers who face doubt from society yet persist in their unique, courageous paths.
A Pioneer in Combat Medicine
Born on September 21, 2003, Agam Naim grew up in Pardes Hanna and later moved to Kibbutz Mishmarot. A quiet, talented student, she graduated from Mevo'ot Eiron High School in Ein Shemer and served as a youth leader in Hashomer Hatzair. Following graduation, she volunteered for a year of service at the Eden boarding school in Beit Kama, working with youths facing emotional and developmental challenges, and volunteered with Magen David Adom (MDA).
Naim enlisted in the IDF Medical Corps on July 26, 2023. Completing her paramedic training with honors in March 2024, she was assigned to the 401st Brigade's 52nd Battalion, becoming one of the very first female combat paramedics deployed inside the Gaza Strip. Friends and family recalled her determination to balance femininity with elite combat readiness, stating she was proud to enter Gaza and execute her duties shoulder-to-shoulder with male combat troops.
She fell in action on September 17, 2024, in Rafah. Laid to rest in Kibbutz Mishmarot, her memory continues to inspire a new generation through her written words and the unwavering inner flame that defined her short yet remarkable life.
