Three years since a hole appeared in every Jew’s heart. Three years since we all felt that ache in that same heart when seeing the news. Three years since October 7th, a day that changed Israeli and Jewish communities around the world forever.
For my family and me, October 7th is not just a date in history. It is a day that changed my family. Shirel Haimpour, my cousin, was one of the many lives tragically taken that day. Shirel was only 20 years old, and she served as an IDF soldier who worked at the Nahal Oz Base. My family would describe her as an incredibly brave, strong, and caring woman. The type of person you would want around you.
Shirel wasn’t even on duty when this massacre happened, but right as she heard the news, she ran to the command center to help out with giving coordinates and direct flights despite the base being attacked. Terrorists had eventually set the whole command center on fire because they were unable to enter it. Her family wasn’t immediately notified because it took them a whole 4 weeks to identify her and the body.
Losing Shirel is something that my family and I will carry with us forever. Three years later, we still feel her absence, and the pain of that day will never fully disappear. But alongside the sadness, we all carry her light and memory. We remember who she was, the life she lived, the hearts she touched, and the people she’s inspired.
Three years later, we remember Shirel. We remember everyone who was lost. And we will never forget.
October 7th took so many innocent lives and destroyed so many loving families, but it can never take away the memories they left behind.