"Dad, I'm at Rambam Hospital": Harel Slutzky Recounts Son’s Miraculous Survival in Lebanon
"A generation of the strong": Radio presenter Harel Slutzky shares the dramatic moment he learned his son, Yahali (23), was wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire in South Lebanon. Read the full story of the midnight call and the road to recovery.
Veteran radio personality Harel Slutzky, the host of the morning show on Radio North 104.5fm, shared the dramatic events his family faced this past weekend during an interview with 103fm. His son, 23-year-old IDF soldier Yaheli Slutzky, was moderately wounded during a battle in South Lebanon.
The incident took place late Friday night when an IDF force came under Hezbollah rocket fire. Along with Yaheli, six other soldiers were moderately wounded, and one officer was seriously injured.
Slutzky described receiving the dramatic news at 2:00 AM via a phone call from an unknown number. On the other end was his son, who told him: "Dad, I’m okay. I’ve been wounded, and I’m at Rambam Hospital." Slutzky said hearing his son's voice calmed him immediately, but it triggered a frantic race to the hospital. He and his wife made the urgent drive from their home in Degania to Haifa, a drive he described as something you simply cannot simulate or even imagine in advance.
When they first met at the hospital, the parents discovered that Yahali had been hit by shrapnel that struck near a major artery. Despite the severity of the injury, the mood quickly turned optimistic. Slutzky shared with a smile that even from his hospital bed, his son asked for a toasted salami sandwich he had spotted at a stand near the hospital entrance.
"He’s a tough kid; this is a generation of the strong," the proud father said, offering a tip to other families in similar situations: "Talk, share, and don’t suppress it."
Yahali was released from the hospital yesterday to continue his rehabilitation at home. Harel Slutzky, a father of five sons, noted that Yaheli enlisted directly into the war and has served in both Gaza and Lebanon. He added that this is only the beginning for his family, as three of his other sons are on their way to military service.
"Let's hope for a better and quieter future," he concluded. "It’s not easy, it really isn’t. I’m also learning how to deal with this reality. I’m staying strong."