Together through thick and thin: in life, work and even military

They live right near each other, work as physicians at Hillel Yaffe and both were rallied to the cause on October 7 when they were called up as combat doctors. Meet the Daskal brothers - in honor of Family Day, it’s a great time to recognize them for their double commitment - in the military reserves and as civilians

6/02/2024

Dr. Ron Daskal, 35, a surgical resident at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, chose to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Dr. Yaakov Daskal, 43, a specialist in surgery and senior physician in the General ICU at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center.

“I started the family ‘trend’ of studying medicine,” said Dr. Yaakov Daskal. “I finished medical school at Tel Aviv University and after completing my internship decided to specialize in surgery at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. Then, Ron decided that he also wanted to study medicine, and when he successfully completed medical school at Tel Aviv University, he did his internship at Hillel Yaffe. Then he also did his residency in the hospital's Surgical Division.”

The two have another brother and a younger sister, Sarah, who like her brothers also chose the medical profession and is a medical student at the Technion. “It’s still not clear what field she’ll choose and if it will be here with us at Hillel Yaffe, but as part of her studies she was here on student rounds at Hillel Yaffe, so we hope that we’ll see her here in the future,” added Dr. Ron Daskal.

Brothers Yaakov (left) and Ron Daskal at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center

On October 7, with the outbreak of the war, both brothers were called up. Dr. Yaakov served as a battalion physician in Judea and Samaria, and Dr. Ron as a unit physician in Gaza. Their third brother did his reserve duty with the Air Force. In addition to them, their younger sister Sarah's husband, Netanel, was also called up and served as a combat soldier in engineering.

“Our extended family went through trying times,” they said and voiced their appreciation for the home front, their personal sources of support, who remained at home very worried and anxious. “All of use were called up and left our wives and children at home. Fortunately, we all live in the same town, Etz Efraim, so at least they had each other to help get through this challenging time.”

The Daskal brothers were recently discharged from reserve duty, and the entire family began breathing easier.

Happy Family Day!