Fallen Egoz Fighter’s Family Organizes Rehabilitation Ski Trip for Soldiers
The family of the late Staff Sergeant Sivan Weil, an Egoz Unit fighter killed in Gaza, continues his legacy through rehabilitation ski trips for wounded soldiers in the French Alps.
Staff Sergeant Sivan Weil, an Egoz Unit fighter from Ra'anana, was killed in action in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2024, at just 20 years old. Alongside him, Staff Sergeant Alon Kudriashov was also killed. Following Sivan's death, his parents, Julian and Helen, decided to donate his organs, a decision that saved the lives of five people. Since then, they have been working to commemorate him through initiatives that continue the things he loved and the values that characterized him.
Rehabilitation Ski Expeditions
This coming January, a rehabilitation ski trip in his memory will take place for the third time. This time, 18 Egoz fighters will participate, all from a team that was hit in April 2024 during an incident in the southern Gaza Strip in which four fighters fell: Captain Ido Baruch, Sergeant Amitai Eben Shushan, Sergeant Reef Harush, and Sergeant Ilai Chaim Zair. The participants, including fighters dealing with severe physical and mental injuries, began months of preparation, after which they will head out for a week of skiing at the La Plagne resort in the French Alps.
"Sivan loved to ski very much and knew how to ski well. Before his enlistment, the three of us—Sivan, Helen, and I—went on a ski vacation to that exact same resort," Julian says.
The Path to Recovery
The expeditions are funded through a memorial fund established by the family, accompanied by the Keshet Donor Partnership Fund. In addition to the trips, the fund annually finances math tutoring scholarships for 15 high school students in Ra'anana. The expeditions are led by the Shevet Foundation association, which empowers the disabled IDF veterans community through extreme sports rehabilitation activities.
