Elkana was born in Toronto, Canada, while his parents were on an educational mission, and at the age of two, he returned with his family to Israel.<\/p>\n
He began his journey with Magen David Adom at the age of 15 as a youth volunteer at the Magen David Adom Jerusalem station, often performing shifts alongside his father, Magen David Adom EMT Avri Neulander. He later trained as an EMT and served as a volunteer in the Immediate Response Unit. His classmates recalled how he would get up in the middle of a lesson to respond to an emergency call, treat an accident or assist in a birth, and then return to his studies.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the war, he volunteered as a combat EMT in Be’eri and later requested to join the fighting forces in Gaza as an EMT. Moshe Benita, a paramedic at the Magen David Adom Jerusalem station and his friend, described him as “a great volunteer for whom human lives were paramount.”<\/p>\n
He grew up in Efrat as one of seven siblings and studied law at Bar Ilan University.<\/p>\n
Elkana fell to sniper fire in Al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on January 9, 2024.<\/p>\n
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Elkana continued to volunteer devotedly with Magen David Adom, extending a hand and assisting his community members wherever needed.<\/p>\n
He was laid to rest in the Kfar Etzion cemetery. He is survived by his parents, two brothers, and four sisters.<\/p>\n
An ambulance bearing his name was dedicated in his memory by Magen David Adom, thus continuing his mission of saving lives.<\/p>\n
May his memory be a blessing.<\/p>\n
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