The Wounded Soldier Behind 'Ballad for a Medic' is Revealed: "Shlomo Epstein Saved My Life"

"They advanced slowly,

Everything was calm

Across the river and a whispering papyrus

Suddenly a thunder clap

Someone cried 'Wounded!'

'I'm coming,'

answered the medic..."

If these stirring words play in your head every year on Jerusalem Day, you're not alone. For years, the song written by poet Dan Almagor and performed by the deep voice of Yehoram Gaon has become part of the anthem associated with the liberation of Jerusalem—a liberation that granted us the Western Wall and control of the Old City, but also took many lives and led to dramas seared in blood and soul.

Yet, if one could think that this tear-jerking ballad was purely a product of the poet's imagination, it turns out there are real people behind the story, and they even live among us. Shlomo Epstein, the medic, can't be spoken with, as he was killed in the battle where he dedicated his life to saving the wounded. But the wounded (formerly) still roams among us—Yosef Hagoel, a pensioner about 75 years old, who, when introducing himself, says: "To this day, I am still in the reserves with the 55th Brigade. Recently, the IDF spokesperson updated me that I have completed over 3,000 reserve days, and I even received a recent rank promotion. I continue to serve the army in various ways; I never left for a moment."

Moving into Battle

"Originally, I wasn't supposed to be in the Jerusalem area at all," Hagoel recalls the dramatic day in his life. "When the war broke out, I was exactly half a year after being discharged from the army, then I was enlisted as a reservist in the 55th Brigade, which is actually the oldest battalion of paratroopers. We were together for several days of alert, and never imagined we were heading towards something significant. Our brigade was originally intended to parachute south of El-Arish, blocking Egyptian forces."

However, the original plan changed in real-time. "When we arrived, we discovered the skies were clear, and the forces had already gone past El-Arish and advanced towards the canal. We realized there was no point to parachute there, so we positioned ourselves in the groves of Givat Brenner, near Bilu junction, feeling there wasn't much to do with us. We were three battalions of reservist paratroopers, and didn't really do anything."

Practically, Hagoel notes, they were prepared for a prolonged stay at Givat Brenner. "Meanwhile, we received care packages from children. Some of us started writing letters back to the children for all their wishes, then we got an urgent message to ascend to Jerusalem. It turned out that despite Israel's agreement with the Jordanians not to join the war, the Jordanians realized that the Egyptian army was at the outskirts of Ashkelon and could quickly reach Tel Aviv. For them, it was a defeat not to join the war, so they began shelling Jerusalem. Their goal was to capture Mount Scopus, which was an enclave within Jordanian territory, where Israeli police forces were stationed, guarding the mountain and the university there, as well as the hospital."

When you were called to Jerusalem, did you realize you were about to liberate it?

"Not at all. Jerusalem is a city dear to many religions, and it was clear that everyone would fight for it with all their might. I think that even at the highest levels, they didn't think they were about to liberate Jerusalem. What we did understand at that stage was that the western part of Jerusalem was being shelled by the Jordanians, so we had to reinforce the forces there. I remember that on the first day we arrived, we were just one battalion, making preparations at Ammunition Hill because there was still no order to enter the Old City. Only on the second day was the order given to enter the city, but by then, I was already in the hospital, after being wounded."

Shlomo Said: 'Don't Worry'

When Hagoel transitions to discussing his injury, he takes a deep breath. Although more than a Jubilee has passed, it's still hard for him to recall that battle. "I was injured when we were entering the Old City," he finally says, "near the Rockefeller Museum, before the fences were breached. I was hit in the legs and couldn't stand, so they evacuated me, and I joined a point where wounded were gathered. Medics were with us providing treatment, and in total, we were about 70 people. Apparently, the noticeable commotion from ambulances and vehicles caught the eyes of the Jordanians. They spotted the gathering and began accurately shelling the place where we were. A great panic ensued, everyone dispersed and tried to find cover. Only I couldn't escape due to the leg injuries. But with me stayed one other person—Shlomo Epstein, the medic. I remember at that moment a shell fell near us, and I said to Shlomo: 'Get out of here, there's no point in both of us getting hurt.' Shlomo replied, 'Don't worry, it'll be fine,' and while we were talking, he dragged me, turned my face to the wall, and lay on me, covering me.

(Photo: shutterstock)

"A few seconds later, another shell fell, and from the force of the blast, we were both thrown into the air. At that moment, I was conscious and felt as if I were floating in the clouds, felt my body tearing, and I was sure I was dying. I fell back to the ground, then, after a few seconds, rescue forces arrived. The first statement I made to them was, 'There's another one here,' but they replied, 'There's no one,' because Shlomo was already not with us. He was thrown further, and even after being found, he could not be identified." Hagoel's voice chokes. "He sacrificed his life for me," he whispers.

When did you understand he didn't survive?

"When I was evacuated to the hospital, I hoped that Shlomo was being evacuated with me, but only a few days later did the company commander visit me and tell me he had been killed."

Did you know Shlomo personally?

"Not at all. Although he was in my brigade and a medic in my company, he was a few years older than me, and I didn't know him before, as it was my first time in reserves. Shlomo didn't only treat me but other wounded soldiers too, and that's essentially what he did throughout the battle. What happened on the field, when he saved my life, other soldiers in hiding saw, and after the act was publicized, he was posthumously awarded a medal of valor."

Hagoel pauses for a moment, then adds: "Shlomo saved my life twice—by treating me on the field and later by laying on me. To this day, I have a large shrapnel behind my heart. If he had just left me and gone, the shell would certainly have hit me directly."

“Today is the Day of My Death”

The Six-Day War ended in a great and moving victory, and during the period when Hagoel recovered from his injury, a Maariv newspaper reporter came to hear the story firsthand. "We sat together and I told him about my rescue miracle. When we finished talking, he asked me, 'Do you have any plans to commemorate Shlomo Epstein?' I replied that I'm barely 20 years old, but with Hashem's help, when I marry and have a child, I will name him 'Shlomo.' The reporter responded, 'Very nice,' and got up to leave. Just before he left the house, I stopped him and said, 'I have a request—I don't know Shlomo's family, but I really want to reach out to them and meet the parents to thank them.' The reporter promised me he would publish this request in the newspaper, and so we parted ways.

Later that week, a large article appeared in the newspaper, and the reporter did fulfill his promise by including what I asked regarding the meeting with the parents. Already the next day, there were knocks at my house door, and when I opened, I found a man about 30 years old who introduced himself and said, 'I am Shlomo Epstein's brother-in-law, and I have come on behalf of the family. I was asked to convey to you that we do not want you to contact us.'

Were you surprised?

"Of course I was surprised, it was like a five-kilo hammer to the head. I didn't understand why they didn't want to meet me, but I respected their wishes. From that day, I made a point to visit Shlomo's grave on Mount Herzl every Remembrance Day to recite Tehillim there. This continued the first year, the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth. Each time I found myself alone at the grave, communing with the memory of the man who saved my life. In the sixth year, I was already married, and my wife gave birth to a son exactly two days before Remembrance Day. I didn't forgo the visit to the grave, and immediately after releasing my wife from the maternity hospital, I traveled to Mount Herzl. This time I found two women with a young boy at the grave, and I heard them telling him how Shlomo was killed while giving his life for others. When they finished the story, I approached them and asked how they were related to Shlomo, and they replied they were his cousins. I introduced myself and told them I was coming from the maternity hospital after my son was born, and I had a request: I want to invite Shlomo's father to the brit so he would be the sandak. They apparently knew the family was struggling to cope with the tragedy, so they suggested leaving my phone number with them, and they would see what could be done. Indeed, towards the end of the Remembrance Day, they contacted me and informed: 'Shlomo's family will attend the brit.'

"The brit was very moving," recalls Hagoel, "Shlomo's father indeed was the sandak, and of course, the name given to the baby was 'Shlomo.' This is how the direct connection with the family was made, and it was very emotional for me. I am deeply grateful to Shlomo until my last day."

Commemorating Shlomo

For anyone wondering when 'Ballad for a Medic' was born, Hagoel explains that the ballad's origin was actually a year before the Six-Day War. "Exactly a year before the war, a festival was held in Jerusalem, and Dan Almagor's song 'Jerusalem of Gold' won first place. From that day, it became an anthem, and when we ascended to Jerusalem by buses to fight, we sang it.

"A year later, following the victory in the Six-Day War, there were many requests for Almagor to write another song in the style of 'Jerusalem of Gold.' He searched his drawers and found this ballad that was already written, but inspired by our story, he made certain changes, like my appeal to the medic, asking him to save himself, and how he reassures me, 'Everything will be fine.' After the song was published, there was much talk about it being written about me, but I never heard it officially, as I hadn't spoken with Almagor or heard from him.

"I know," adds Hagoel, "that later it bothered the Epstein family that the song was sung too often, and they reached out to the composer Effie Natzir, requesting not to play it without a special reason. Older people among us certainly remember that initially, the song was played on the radio very often, but later they stopped using it, playing it only on Remembrance Days and on special occasions".

Only a few years ago did Hagoel come to a definite understanding that the song was written about him. "There was some radio program that invited me to Jerusalem, where they arranged a meeting with Dan Almagor and Shlomo Epstein's sister. In that event, Almagor told us that the song was indeed not originally written about us, but it was adapted to our case, and subsequently, it definitely relates to Shlomo's inspiring story."

Since that day, Hagoel sees it as his mission to travel between schools, military units, high schools, and attend every invitation, to tell his story. "I see it as important and as a mission. In my opinion, this is the best commemoration for the late Shlomo Epstein—to pass on to the younger generation the message that you never leave a comrade on the field and never abandon him".