Français
Español
English
Portuguese
The doctor’s father had emigrated from Syria to Israel in 1947, leaving behind relatives the family had only heard about through occasional messages over the years.
By Shula Rosen
An unexpected family reunion unfolded this week at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, when an Israeli Druze physician discovered that three Syrian patients under his care were, in fact, his own distant relatives—family members he had never met.
The mother and her two children, a 16-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son, were rushed to Rambam from Syria’s Sweida region after surviving a deadly attack on Druze villages, allegedly carried out by Syrian regime forces.
The children’s father was killed in the assault. The boy, critically injured with multiple fractures and a gunshot wound, arrived fighting for his life. His mother and sister suffered moderate injuries.
Their journey to Israel began after their condition worsened following initial treatment in Syria.
They were transferred to Rambam, where staff immediately began urgent trauma, orthopedic, pediatric, and psychological care.
It was during the triage process that a Druze nurse noticed the family’s surname matched that of a physician on duty.
She alerted him, and within moments, the connection was confirmed: His father had emigrated from Syria to Israel in 1947, leaving behind relatives the family had only heard about through occasional messages over the years.
“I was stunned,” the doctor said. “We’d heard stories about our relatives in Syria, but I never imagined the first time I would meet them would be here, under such tragic circumstances. It gave me chills.”
For the injured mother, the discovery brought a rare moment of comfort. “Being here feels like being with my own family,” she said. “I hope Israel will continue to stand by the Druze, because things in Syria are only getting worse and no one else is helping us.”
The meeting is an example of the enduring bonds between Druze communities on both sides of the border—ties that survived decades of separation after political boundaries were redrawn more than 75 years ago.
Today, about 150,000 Druze live in Israel, primarily in the north, known for their strong sense of community and service to the state.
Rambam, which has a longstanding commitment to treating patients regardless of nationality, continues to serve as a regional referral center for humanitarian cases, quietly bridging divides in one of the world’s most troubled regions.
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too! Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion. Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back! Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
