In Honor and Memory of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir ז"ל / Blogs

Until the last minute we were holding on and believing Shiri, Ariel and Kfir would come home in this deal. As Yarden was waithing for them,for the moment to hold his family close to him again. What should have a been a happy moment was shattered after waithing agonizing days between hope and despair.

Then wednesday night came with the conformation that two of the four coffins were of little sweet Ariel and Kfir. A toddler age 4 years old and a 10 month old baby being murdered in cold blood a month after the family Bibas been brutally taken from their home. Ariel and Kfir in the arms of Shiri with terror, fear and panic in her eyes which I will never forget.Not knowing if she could keep her babies safe. Ariel and Kfir unaware of what was happening, their lives so full of love and happiness abruptly cut short. Yarden never had the chance to protect his family as they abused him physically and mentally there and then and I can't imagine the pain he must have felt at that moment.

The world let this happen, we didn't fail them. With the little resources we had as we were davening, reciting Tehillim, filled social media and other media outlets pleading to let our people go. For over 16 months we almost begged to let the Bibas Family go and til the last minute the release of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir in this deal which didn't happen. The agonizing pain continued. We were lighting an extra candle at Shabbos, floodded timelines full of messages, video's and heartfelt pleas. The world kept silent apart from the media, UN and among others who were constandly dehumanizing the Jewish people and with their broken moral compass projecting what was so evil and dark upon Israel.

Now our wounds have to heal, while the pain cut so deep, tears we can't stop from filling our eyes. But our innermost thoughts are with Yarden and the family.

Please keep on davenen for Yarden ben Pnina.

The family ask to respect their choice to say goodbye in the way that is right for them. On wednesday the levaya of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir will be held privately in Zohar near Nir Oz.

Shiri will be buried with Ariel and Kfir in a single coffin.

The family is thanking us from the bottom of their hearts for all the hugs, love and tears we shared together and they do not have enough words to cherish everything we all given to them at this moment.

May HaShem Bless them and be with them on their most difficult day.

I Like to share a part of Parsha Mishpatim from Rabbi Smuel Reichman of his book ' The Journey to your ultimate self'.

The Light within the Darkness

The process of life. The ideal is revealed, taken away, and then remains as our goal as we journey through life, trying to recreate that ideal. The key is to be inspired by the goal, not discourage by the struggle. We must understand that our goal is to become Godly,fully reflect our higher selves, create oneness every single step of the proces.

This is the proces of life. Inspiration, followed by hardship and difficulty, often to the point that you can hardly remember that initial stage of excitement. The Rambam compares this experience to a man lost in the darkness of night, in the midst of a thunderstorm. Unable to see his hand in front of his face, he has no idea where to go. Suddenly, there is a flash of lightening and he sees the path home, clear as day. A second later the lightening fades and he is left with only the memory of charity to guide him back home. The lightening represents flashes of inspiration in challenging and confusing world. The darkened path represents the difficult journey we must take to recreate that initial stage of inspiration. We must hold on to those flashes of lightening, understand our goal and destinastion, and then recreate that light within the darkness. For, one day, you will once again experience the clarity of that light. Except this time, it will be real, earned, never again fading away.

The Jewish Nation

Kfir

"We didn’t get to do anything together.I didn’t even get to buy you a gift for your first birthday.”

Ofri, Yarden’s sister

I met with Shiri Bibas’s sister Dana. She spoke about the tragic day that her family including her parents, her sister, and her nephews (Kfir and Ariel) were kidnapped and murdered. Dana held on to hope that she would see them again. Last week, she received the heartbreaking news that they were returning home from Gaza in coffins. May their memories be a blessing. 💔🕯️

Noa Tishby

Yossi and Margit Silberman ז"ל

Shiri's parents murdered in Nir Oz, October 7, 2023