Oz 77

OZ 77 Battle Heritage Site in Kibbutz Elrom

Oz 77 is a battle heritage site in Kibbutz Elrom near the Valley of Tears (Emek HaBacha). Here, inside a cinema is screened a fascinating film which tells the story of the battle of the Valley of Tears, when the Syrian Army tried to penetrate the Israeli frontline during the Yom Kippur War and was stopped by the Israeli Armored Corps’ 77th “Oz” Regiment of the 7th Armor Brigade together with soldiers from the 188th Armor Brigade. In the film are heard testimonies and hair-raising recordings from the battle field. The commander of the “Oz” Regiment, Avigdor Kahalani, who received a decoration for his part in this bloody battle, describes how even with smaller numbers and difficult conditions, without night vision equipment and not much ammunition, being tired and even exhausted, the Israeli fighters managed to overcome the enemy, with only Zionism and determination on their side. The film’s length is approximately 20 minutes.

Valley of Tears Memorial

During the Yom Kippur War, Syria launched an attack from a valley north of Kuneitra. From this point, they planned to take control of the central Golan Heights and then into Israel. In a day long battle, battalion commander Avigdor Kahalani led the Israelis to victory. Over 500 Syrian tanks and armored personnel carriers were left in Israel when the Syrians retreated. This battleground is known as the Valley of Tears. At the memorial, an audio tells the story of the battle. A tree was planted for each of the soldiers in the 77th regiment who fell in this battle.

Tip: There are no facilities at this site

Tip: There is no entrance fee.

This is the distance between Israeli and Syrian tanks during the battle!!