Veronika visited her father’s grave for Memorial Day, 11 years after she was born from his preserved sperm, telling those gathered: “My father is a hero.”
Her father, Lt. German Rozhkov, was killed in a terror attack in northern Israel in March 2002. On Tuesday, his mother, Ludmila, arrived at the military cemetery in Kiryat Shmona with her granddaughter, the child she fought for years to bring into the world after his death.
“This is a very difficult day for me, to come to the grave of my only son,” Ludmila said. “My fortune is that I managed to receive permission to retrieve the sperm of my only son who was killed.”
Rozhkov, an officer in the Nahal Brigade, was killed in a shooting attack in the community of Matzuba near the Lebanese border. Two terrorists who infiltrated from Lebanon opened fire, killing five civilians.
Rozhkov, who happened to be at the scene, charged at the attackers but was fatally wounded. He was posthumously awarded a division commander’s citation for his bravery in combat.
A years-long fight to continue his legacy
After his death, Ludmila sought to preserve her son’s legacy by bringing a child into the world using his sperm. Her effort took years, and in 2017, she succeeded, with the help of a surrogate mother.
At the grave, she broke down in tears: “Look how many bereaved parents have joined this grief. How long will we go on burying our sons?”
Standing beside her, Veronika placed stones on the grave and said simply: “My father is a hero.”
The case is one of several in Israel in which families of fallen soldiers have sought to use preserved sperm to continue a loved one’s lineage.
Similarly, Sharon Eisenkot, mother of Sergeant Maor Cohen Eisenkot, who was killed in combat, has also received approval and is now searching for a surrogate in hopes of having a grandchild.
For Ludmila and Veronika, the visit to the grave reflects both loss and continuity, a life cut short, and another that began years later in its shadow.