Yahal Sharabi

Yahal Sharabi was born on October 3, 2010, in Kibbutz Be’eri — the younger daughter of Lian and Eli, and sister to Noya.
From a young age, she radiated joy, endless energy, and a deep love for nature, animals, and movement.
She grew up in a warm, open home that blended her mother’s gentle British humor with her father’s kibbutz spirit, and she was loved by everyone — her family, her friends, and her teachers at the regional school Nofei HaBsor.

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Yahal was a child of open spaces. She rode her bike along the kibbutz paths, spent hours in the petting zoo, and helped care for the animals. She was fascinated by science and the stars, and received a telescope as a gift — through which she would gaze at the night sky and learn to recognize constellations. Her grandmother recalled that nearly every evening, Yahal would step outside “to check on the moon and the new stars.” 

 

Alongside her love for nature, she was creative and expressive — drawing, dancing, and filming short videos with her sister and friends.
The house was always full of laughter and music. 

 

From a young age, Yahal fell in love with football. She played for Hapoel Eshkol, proudly wearing the number 11 jersey, and quickly became one of the standout players on the team. Her coaches described her as “a girl with light in her eyes and energy that lifts everyone around her.” She loved to run, pass, defend, and attack with the same enthusiasm, and dreamed of becoming a professional player.
Her father, an avid football fan, encouraged her and proudly filmed her matches. Yahal dreamed of one day playing for FC Barcelona Women — a dream that connected her kibbutz childhood in the Negev to the wider world beyond.

Her friends said that Yahal was always smiling, making others laugh, and turning every encounter into an adventure.
She combined playfulness and warmth, courage and generosity.

At school, she was an excellent student, especially in math and English, where she served as the family’s “translator” for her mother and English-speaking uncles. She loved helping others, comforting sad friends, and never stopped asking questions about the world.
Her family said: “Yahal could have been a veterinarian, an actress, or maybe the first Israeli woman in space — everything was possible for her.” 

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On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, Yahal was at home in Be’eri with her mother, Lian, and sister, Noya, when the Hamas attack began. The three hid together in the family’s safe room. Around noon, armed terrorists broke into the house. Lian tried to shield her daughters with her body, and all three were shot and killed. Their bodies were later found in an embrace — mother and daughters holding one another until the very end.

Yahal was only 13 years old, an eighth-grade student, when she was murdered in her home.

Her death shook the Be’eri community and the Israeli sports world. Months later, football clubs across the country commemorated her name. On May 11, 2025, the Girls’ State Cup Final was dedicated in her memory, and on May 13, it was announced that the girls’ team of Hapoel Petah Tikva would henceforth be named after her. Her friends and family describe her in one simple, heartbreaking sentence:
“There is a Yahal-shaped hole in our hearts — one that can never be filled.”

May her memory be a blessing.