Israeli Navy Memorial, Military cenotaph in Elisheva Garden, Ashdod, Israel

The Israeli Navy Memorial in Elisheva Garden is a cenotaph with sculptures and monuments where names are inscribed in stone. The site has pathways and viewing areas with artistic works that reference naval themes and the sea.

The memorial was erected in the early 1970s in Gan Elisheva, Ashdod, to commemorate the 47 sailors of the destroyer Eilat, sunk by Egypt in 1967. In 1973 it was decided to dedicate it to all fallen of the Israeli Navy. It was designed by Navy man Carmeli Feldman and built with donations by Eilat survivor Moti Varubel.

The rear wall carries black marble plaques engraved with the names of 456 fallen sailors, headed by the verse from Psalms 77:20, "Your path was through the sea." On the bridge structure a sign quotes Aviv Geffen's song line "When sad, people go to the sea, that is why the sea is salty." Each year on Israel's Memorial Day the navy holds its ceremony of remembrance for the fallen of the sea arm here.

The memorial lies in Gan Elisheva, in the northwestern part of Ashdod near the port. It is a paved 18 by 10 meter deck with a low concrete railing, so you can walk around it freely. The annual ceremony on Israel's Memorial Day is held here, so expect crowds on that date.

The rear wall carries a quote from Psalm 77: "Your path was through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, yet your footprints were unseen." Above the command-bridge structure stands a sign with the line "When sad, people go to the sea, that is why the sea is salty," from Aviv Geffen's song "Livkot Lecha."