Rehovot Street Renamed to Honor Fallen Soldiers

Rehovot, Israel, on Wednesday, September 2, inaugurated a street segment named after Sergeant Shai Asheram, who fell during the October 7th Hamas attack. The ceremony was attended by Asheram's parents, Shari and Dror, her family, and Mayor Matan Dila. The initiative to honor Asheram, a native of Rehovot who served as a combat observer in the Combat Intelligence Corps, was led by the mayor to memorialize her in the city where she grew up and was educated.

Asheram, 19, was stationed at the Nachal Oz outpost on October 7th. She was noted for her motivation and sense of mission during her training, participating in an advanced program for outstanding trainees. She fell in battle at the Nachal Oz outpost during the Hamas assault. After her death, she was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant and buried in the Rehovot military cemetery.

Interestingly, the street segment now honoring Asheram was previously named after Private Hannah (Chanka) Abrek, who also died at the age of 19 during Israel's War of Independence. Abrek, born in 1929, was active in the "HaMachanot Ha'olim" movement and joined a settlement group for Kibbutz Beit Ha'arava. She was killed on July 18, 1948, when the plane she was traveling in was forced to land due to an Egyptian bombing and its passengers were attacked.

The Rehovot municipality coordinated with the Abrek family to ensure both women would be memorialized. The city thanked the Abrek family for their understanding and cooperation in allowing this joint commemoration, preserving Hannah's memory and legacy alongside Shai's within the city's narrative of heroism and remembrance.