Soroka Medical Center, Israel’s largest trauma hospital, is a place where thousands of lives are saved each year. But when an Iranian missile struck its grounds during Operation Rising Lion earlier this year, that sanctuary of healing suddenly became a scene of war.
At the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on Sept. 16, veteran paramedic Raphael Herbst stood before over 600 American supporters and recounted that harrowing day. With more than two decades on Israel’s frontlines, Herbst had faced terror and chaos before, but the attack on Soroka, where his colleagues and patients were trapped under fire, left an indelible mark.
Herbst explained that the dread began even before impact. It was the first time Iran itself had launched missiles at Israel, and the uncertainty was chilling. “We knew many more rockets were coming,” he said, describing the tense hours of waiting. No one knew what would be hit next, or when. The only certainty was that Magen David Adom had to be ready for anything: every ambulance stocked, every medic braced for the worst. He emphasized that preparation allowed his team to spring into action the moment Soroka came under fire.
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