Hebrew University Medical students operate “Hospital for Bears” in memory of fallen classmates

Students at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine have held a special event called Hospital for Bears, dedicated to the memory of two of their classmates.

Faculty students Carmel Gat and Eyal Berkowitz both lost their lives following the Oct 7 attack.

Carmel was murdered in Hamas captivity, and Eyal fell in battle in Gaza. Both students are deeply missed by their peers.

The initiative was led by Hadassah Merzbach, Micha Kardash, and Neria Wilf—classmates of the late Eyal Berkowitz—and was produced in collaboration with the Hebrew Medical Students’ Association.

More than 400 children from Jerusalem attended the event, bringing along dolls and stuffed animals to experience simulated medical care while learning key principles of health and healing.

Each station reflected the values embodied by Carmel and Eyal. At the internal medicine station, children practised deep breathing for relaxation, just as Carmel had taught her fellow hostages in captivity. In the ophthalmology department, children were encouraged to look each other in the eye and treat one another with equality, echoing the way Eyal’s friends remember him.

“We wanted to create a living, dynamic tribute that would help the public get to know the true character of our fallen friends—caregivers who loved both children and adults,” said the event organisers. “Our goal was to offer children a positive, empathetic encounter with the healthcare system, just as Eyal and Carmel’s patients surely would have received from them.”

Prof. Eli Pikarsky, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, added: “We were honored to support this student-led initiative, which reflects our students’ deep commitment to commemorating their friends and serving the community. I had the privilege of meeting members of Eyal’s family at the event and witnessed firsthand how meaningful and moving this project was for them.”