In Memory of Aner Shapira z"l

About the ProjectStaff Sergeant Aner Elyakim Shapira Born and raised in Jerusalem, Aner was a fighter in the elite Orev Nahal Brigade Killed on the 22nd day of Tishrei (October 7th, 2023).  He was 22 years old.  Aner Shapira was a contemplative person; a musician and a painter. A staff sergeant in the Orev unit of the Nahal Brigade, he was on leave for the Sukkot holiday, and, together with some friends, attended the Nova party at Kibbutz Re’im. When the Hamas attack began, he received a call from his commanding officer directing him to make his way to the base at Sufa. As Aner and the friends with him in the car reached the Re’im intersection, massive gun fire began, and they stopped the vehicle and ran into the nearby shelter. Already inside were 24 frightened people who had also been at the party.  Aner calmed everyone down, explained that he was a fighter in Orev Nahal and that everything would be okay – they were very close to the Re’im army base; the army knew what was going on; and that reinforcements would be there at any minute. With amazing composure, admirable leadership, and incomprehensible determination, Aner protected those in the shelter. He stood strong and tall in the entrance with a knife he fashioned out of a broken beer bottle, while those in the shelter remained inside on the ground. He repelled the terrorists time after time, preventing them from entering. The terrorists began to throw grenades instead. Aner managed to give those in the shelter brief instructions, explaining that he would try and catch the grenades and that if he was injured, they should continue in his stead. Thus, without hesitation and with his bare hands, Aner caught seven grenades, one after the other, and threw them back towards the terrorists. The eighth grenade exploded in his hands and he was killed.  The survivors of the shelter related how Aner’s presence made them feel calmer in these terrible moments. They, who owe him their lives, were the ones that told the story of his heroism. The photographs and clips that were taken in the shelter and outside it prove the truth of their testimony to the entire world. Please join us in helping to fulfil Aner’s dreams, and honor the memory of this incredible human being.