SUFA, Israel (BP) — Why was Segev Schwartz the only casualty in his battalion of 30 Israeli soldiers when a terrorist tossed a hand grenade in a cafeteria on Sufa Outpost on Oct. 7, 2023? That was his mother Sara’s question.

The answer she found completed a picture of Segev, 20, she and her husband Ehud shared with Baptist Press on the eve of Israel Memorial Day, the April 29-30 commemoration of the fallen in Israeli wars and acts of terrorism upon the nation since 1948.

Sara learned that Segev, injured in his leg, had been told to shelter in an outpost cafeteria with others in his battalion. A Hamas terrorist threw a hand grenade into the building.

“Two of the soldiers noticed this grenade and they, from their shock, they rolled it away from them and it rolled to Segev’s legs and Segev, instead of pushing the grenade, he let it stay next to him and that is how he died,” his mother said. “Actually all his body, I mean all his left part of his body was wounded and he actually died and in that way, he saved all the 30 soldiers that were around him.”

Segev is among 850 soldiers who have died in the Israel Hamas War, or as it is known in Israel, the Iron Swords War, now in its second year, as peace proves elusive.

Steve Weil, a rabbi and CEO of Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), cites among the grieving this Israel Memorial Day 310 new widows, 720 new orphans and 3,100 children who have lost an older sibling.

“It’s very raw,” Weil told Baptist Press. “It’s been a long war. It’s been a brutal war. But on the other hand … (Israel understands) they have no other choice. They have to prevent Hamas from staying in power. When Hamas is in power, not only will they rebuild themselves to try to annihilate Israel again, but Hamas brainwashes. It poisons the minds of children.”

From sundown April 29 until sundown April 30, all of Israel will focus on the fallen, with a series of programs honoring fallen soldiers, as well as victims of terrorism at home and abroad since Israeli statehood, though the holiday — Yom HaZikaron — was officially established in 1963.

A siren announces the beginning of the day and a minute of silence, which Israelis observe, Weil said, no matter their location in the nation. A driver stops his car, exits and salutes for the minute. The same when the siren sounds to close the day, followed immediately by Israel Independence Day.

FIDF has established “After the Shiva,” a new program for Americans to support Israeli families suffering the tragedies of the war, including financial assistance and emotional support.

“This program is about more than giving; it’s about connecting,” Weil said. “It’s about standing with these families who have sacrificed everything and showing them they are not alone — not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”

The program matches U.S. families with Israeli families based on shared values, backgrounds and specific preferences, and utilizes such connection tools as video calls and messages. Over a three-year period, families connect over holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and other special days, but also establish meaningful connections and provide financial support which FDIF overseas.

“So there’s a connection between American families, American Jews and Christians, and the families of the fallen,” Weil said, “to let them know that there’s a world out there that hasn’t forgotten them, despite the horrific sacrifice they’ve made, in sacrificing a husband, a father, and in some cases, sacrificing a son.”

The Schwartzes told Baptist Press it’s important that the U.S. remember Segev for his sacrifice because of the horrific terrorism of Oct. 7, which is sometimes lost, she said, to the growing death toll in Gaza.

“I want the United States, the people of the United States to know that whatever we are doing, it’s only to protect us as human beings to live in our country,” Sara said. “All around Israel, there are … Arab countries. I mean, we’ve got a very, very tiny country for Jewish people all over the world.”

OneFamily, an Israeli nonprofit that supports bereaved families and victims of terror, hosted the Schwartzes and other families on a weekend retreat in advance of Memorial Day to help them cope with their loss.

“They enabled us to have this retreat and to express ourselves and be part of … many people who share the same situation as we do,” Sara said. “We all lost our precious kids and being with them helped us a lot to prepare ourselves for Memorial Day.”

Weir finds hope despite the war, but expresses a broken heart.

On one hand, Weir says he is humbled by the love and support he has found from “American Jews and American Christians, Christian Zionists, Jewish Zionists and just decent people who understand that this is not about Israel, but understand that this is ultimately going to shape what kind of century we have, what kind of world we live in.”

But he has “a broken heart for these families whose lives will never be the same.

“Incredible optimism because they are a generation that has shown extreme courage, extreme defiance in the face of the worst evil. It’s a generation that has sacrificed. So I know that this is a great generation, not only for Israel, but for humanity. They’re going to do great things for this world.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)