In honor of this year's Memorial Day, a new initiative titled “Gal-Hed” is being launched. A large-scale commemorative project led by the Yad LaBanim organization, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), and the Yedioth Ahronoth Group. The project introduces the life stories of Iron Swords war victims through a series of personal, moving films, focusing on fallen members of Israel’s security forces, including the IDF, police, Shin Bet and Mossad.
At the heart of the initiative is a unique series of memorial videos produced in full collaboration with the families of the fallen. Each film presents the life story of the fallen through the voices of family members, friends and commanders, offering a deeper, human and unfiltered look at who they were, beyond the headlines.
On Memorial Day, Ynet and ynet Global are launching a central content hub on their websites, initially featuring more than 70 films available to audiences in Israel and worldwide, with hundreds more set to be added over the year, creating an evolving digital archive of national remembrance.
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IDF soldiers mark Memorial Day for fallen Israeli soldiers across all fronts
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
The project will be distributed and promoted across all Yedioth Ahronoth Group platforms, including the Ynet homepage, the international ynet Global site, the print newspaper, social media and other content channels, to ensure broad exposure and a living, evolving memorial.
Carrying on their memory
Gal-Hed is a joint effort between Yad LaBanim, which supports bereaved families, FIDF, and the Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the Ynet news site and ynet Global, all of which will help promote the commemoration in the global digital sphere.
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Memorial Day for fallen Israeli soldiers at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl. Archive
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
"Gal Hed reflects our mission to present the life stories of the fallen in a respectful, human and meaningful way, and to create a form of remembrance that continues to resonate within Israeli society over time,” said Moshik Aviv, CEO of Yad LaBanim.
Eli Tahar, chairman of Yad LaBanim, who lost his brother in Lebanon, later his son in a military accident and, on October 7, another son, Yossi, a Shin Bet operational unit fighter said: “The pain of loss stays with us every day, but so does a deep responsibility to tell the fallen's stories, remember them and carry their memory forward. Gal-Hed connects the families’ personal memory with the collective national memory.”
Brig. Gen. (res.) Liron Donnell, CEO of FIDF Israel, said that “Behind every name appearing on the headline was once a heart full of love for the country. Through Gal-Hed, we become a voice for those who fell defending the country. It is both a privilege and a profound moral duty to ensure their stories reach beyond Israel and resonate in Jewish homes around the world. Together, we are connecting Jewish communities in the diaspora to the emotional core of our loved ones, transforming the families’ private pain into a living, global memory.”
Shelly Bellerstein, VP Strategic Marketing at Yedioth Ahronoth Group, said: "Gal-Hed is among the most meaningful and moving projects the Yedioth Ahronoth Group has taken on. It grew out of a strong sense of purpose to honor the families and ensure the stories of the fallen endure. Using our journalistic and digital platforms, we strive to make remembrance human, accessible and lasting for audiences in Israel and around the world.”
Gal-Hed is not just a memorial initiative, but an ongoing journey of remembrance, ensuring that the faces, voices and stories of the fallen remain an integral part of Israel’s collective consciousness.
To view the project: https://www.ynetnews.com/gal-hed