"Ella Shielded Her 10-year-old Brother and Took the Shrapnel—Thus, His Life Was Saved"

This past week, when the Abuksis family from Sderot marked the anniversary of their daughter Ella's passing, they did so with a heavier heart than usual. Nineteen years have passed since Ella was killed in a severe Qassam attack, but every year they organized a gathering in the city to speak of her legacy and memorialize her. This time they couldn't. Like other residents of the city, the Abuksis family was evacuated, leading to a small memorial service in Or Akiva and a virtual ceremony for those who couldn't attend.

"Nineteen years have passed, but the memories never leave us," says Shlomit Bar Chacham, Ella's older sister. "Especially now, we understand clearly that if the state of Israel had attacked Hamas back then and not waited until now, we wouldn't be in this difficult situation today, nor would we have paid the heavy price of so many victims over the years."

Ella Abuksis

The Embrace of the People of Israel

Shlomit recalls the day of the tragic event: "That Shabbat, there were intermittent Qassam rocket flares and a few alarms went off," she remembers. "It wasn't unusual, but not as frequent as we know today. The Home Front Command prepared the public and distributed instructions, but residents didn't really adhere to them. Unlike today, there was no awareness to rush and hide, nor were there shelters wherever you went. Sderot looked completely different."

On that Shabbat, according to Shlomit, Ella went to the youth movement branch where she volunteered as a counselor. "She took our younger brother, Tamir, about ten years old back then, promising to look after him. I remember she convinced our parents she would be responsible and take good care of him. When they returned after Shabbat and were merely 100 meters from home, an alert sounded, and they didn't have time to get to shelter. The rocket fell right beside them, and at the last second, Ella threw herself on Tamir, so she took most of the shrapnel. There was only one fragment that penetrated Tamir's head, a mere millimeter from his temple. It was a great mercy from Hashem; a fragment a little further could have also taken Tamir from us today."

But Ella's injury was severe, and she was evacuated to the hospital in critical condition. "The Qassam shrapnel struck her brain stem," her sister explains, "and she was hospitalized in intensive care without consciousness for a week. During that time, people prayed worldwide for her complete recovery. Those were very difficult days for us as a family, but I remember the embrace we received from the people of Israel, and we simply believed she would come through. We genuinely hoped that would be the case, but unfortunately, at the end of that week, she returned her soul to the Creator."

What gave you strength during those days to endure this difficult trial?

"Only the prayers, the faith, and the knowledge that Ella died sanctifying Hashem's name," Shlomit explains. "On her gravestone, we inscribed that 'through her, the name of Heaven was sanctified worldwide.' We received guidance from Rabbi Shlomo Amar to write that."

A Young Girl, An Elevated Soul

Ella, as it turns out, was remarkable not only for her heroic act of sacrifice for her brother but also throughout her life. "She was very intelligent," Shlomit recounts, "and because of that, our parents sent her to a science school for gifted children. It wasn't a religious school, and Ella felt it didn't suit her. Her heart was very connected to Hashem, and on Shabbat, she always joined me for prayers at the synagogue. One day she asked me to buy her a prayer book so she could pray every morning before class. I asked if she was sure, as classmates might laugh at her or say she's primitive, but Ella wasn't fazed and was very determined. She told me, 'I believe in the Creator of the Universe and want to pray; I don't care what others say.' She later asked on her own to leave the gifted school and transferred to the Tzvia Ulpana. While she lacked religious concepts, since she hadn't attended a religious school, the Ulpana's principal was impressed with her heart, soul, and fear of Heaven, so he accepted her without hesitation."

And what has become of your younger brother over the years?

"My brother, of course, grew up. Today he is married and a father to a daughter, working at 'New Guardians' and fighting in Gaza these days. Naturally, he feels an extraordinary connection to Ella, with a clear understanding that it's thanks to her he is alive."

We Must Win

Shlomit recounts that over the years, the family has commemorated Ella in various ways, including establishing a special structure in Sderot with a memorial room named 'Mishkan Ella', where her father holds talks about Sderot and Ella. "My parents also donated a Torah scroll for the elevation of her soul, and they have conducted many activities over the years. Unfortunately, this year, we couldn't hold a memorial in Sderot, but we commemorated it from afar, and my parents also distributed virtual pages with links for reciting Psalms and activity ideas for children at school for the elevation of her soul. We received very positive feedback about those pages."

From the Torah scroll ceremony for Ella's memory

Did your parents ever think of leaving Sderot following their daughter's murder?

"No, such a thought never crossed their minds. Both were born and grew up in Sderot, got married there, their entire lives are in Sderot, and Ella is buried there too. They are people of faith, understanding that every bullet has an address, and mainly—by staying in the city, they manifest not succumbing to terror. Even now, they plan to return to the city once Israel concludes the war and eradicates the threat called Hamas. It's clear to all of us that under any other condition, it's impossible to go back and live this way. In this war, with Hashem's help, we must win."