Diksha Sundriyal
In HBO’s ‘One Day in October,’ a family is attacked by terrorists who seem hell-bent on killing them. This story unfolds in the fifth episode of the show, recounting the experience of Ellay and Ariel Golan and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Yael. On the morning of October 7, 2023, Ellay and Ariel were woken up by the news of an attack and immediately hid in the bomb shelter of their house with Yael. The next few hours proved to be a challenge for the family on several levels, but their main concern was to protect their daughter at all costs, and that’s what ultimately led to their survival.
Ellay and Ariel Golan Were Driven by the Desire to Protect Their Daughter
Hoping that the Israeli military would arrive soon, Ellay and Ariel Golan confined themselves, their daughter, Yael, and their dog to the safe room by pushing a cupboard in front of the door. They tried to keep Yael asleep or busy with the phone so that she would stay quiet and not attract attention. In the meantime, they kept themselves informed about the activities outside by following a WhatsApp chat with the neighborhood. A few hours later, some men broke into their house. They found the entrance to the safe room but were unable to enter because of the cupboard blocking the way. Ellay and Ariel tried to fend them off and even told them to take whatever they could and leave.
The men, however, weren’t just thieves. They were terrorists, and they wanted to kill the couple and their daughter. They set the house on fire, knowing that the family would be forced out. The desire to protect themselves, more importantly, their daughter, led Ariel and Ellay to run through the flames and out of the safe room. But then, the terrorists threw the cooking gas tank in, which exploded, worsening the fire. By the end, all the Golans had sustained three-degree burns. Ellay had 60% burns, Ariel had 45%, and little Yael had 30%. The pain was excruciating, but they had no option but to run. Once out of the house, they hid in the field of the kibbutz.
But then, Ellay noticed that her daughter had lost consciousness, which meant that she needed immediate medical attention. This led her and Ariel to run to the kibbutz’s entrance, where they found Israeli soldiers. After explaining to them her daughter’s condition and what she needed, Ellay fell unconscious as well. Yael was put in an induced coma for eight days to help her recovery, but eventually, she was found to be perfectly fit. Ellay’s injuries, on the other hand, were much more serious, and she spent 58 days in a coma. At the end of the day, the Golan family survived, and while they still carry the scars of their trauma, they have a new purpose in life.
Ellay and Ariel Golan Have Dedicated Their Lives to Helping People Today
Ellay and Ariel Golan live in Be’er Sheva, Israel, with their daughter, Yael, and their son, Yiftach. Ariel is a social worker at Kivunim and works primarily as a mental health worker and a program coordinator. For the past couple of years, he has been part of a program called Amitim, which is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Association of Community Centers Ltd. It is directed at helping people with mental disabilities in their path to recovery through integration into the community. At the same time, he also runs a football team and is a certified consultant and financial advisor. While Ariel is entirely focused on his family and work, he has also discussed the experience of that October day with Israel in the UK and the USC Shoah Foundation, as well as All Israel News, where he appeared alongside his wife. Meanwhile, Ellay has completed her degree and is now a doctor at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva.
The journey of rehabilitation following the attack was hard for Ellay. She revealed that when she woke up, she had lost 12 kgs of muscle and fat. She couldn’t walk, couldn’t move her hands, couldn’t speak, eat, or drink. Slowly, however, the rehabilitation proved fruitful. Still, she and Ariel had to wear pressure suits for about a year to prevent their burns from scarring. In support of the family, a GoFundMe campaign was started, which received overwhelming support and exceeded its goal. While getting discharged, Ellay was still studying medicine and was supposed to join a residency at Soroka Hospital. She graduated in June 2024 and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Ben-Gurion University. Two weeks later, Sheba Director General Prof. Itzik Kreiss presented her with a new stethoscope and a Sheba employee ID at the Lights of Hope event as an opportunity to do her residency at Sheba. Accepting the offer made her the first patient to also be a resident at the same hospital.
Ellay also decided to switch her field from OB/GYN to rehabilitation, specializing in ICU treatment and anesthesia. Apart from helping people as a doctor, she has also talked about the traumatizing events of that day and how she and her husband survived the ordeal with their daughter in their arms. At an event organized by the Australian Jewish Fertility Network held in August 2025, she spoke out about her fight for survival while also dealing with survivor’s guilt, referring to the people who were killed or kidnapped. She also revealed that she wished to bring more life into this world by becoming a surrogate. However, her injuries have made it impossible to do so. In this context, she called her son, Yiftach, a miracle, who was born seven months premature. Yael remains the light of Ellay and Ariel’s life. They credit her with being the reason they made it out alive that day, saying their desire for survival was born of their determination to keep their daughter alive and safe.
Read More: Amit Amar and Gali Amar: Where Are the Survivors Now?
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