Choosing life, building hope: Former hostage turns to disability advocacy to honor wife, daughters

Eli Sharabi, a former hostage of Hamas terrorists, is using his life after captivity to honor the memory of his wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel. Sharabi was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, and held captive for 491 days in Gaza tunnels before being freed. After his liberation, he learned that his wife and daughters had been murdered by Hamas in their home in Kibbutz Be'erit on the same day.

In the aftermath, Sharabi became a prominent voice for remaining hostages, met with world leaders, addressed the United Nations Security Council, and even wrote a memoir titled "Hostage" which became an international bestseller.

Sharabi's connection to Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, stems from his wife's involvement with children with special needs when she lived in England. Sharabi himself visited Shalva in 2017 as part of a convention, but unfortunately was unable to bring his family. Upon his return to Kibbutz Be'erit, he became committed to supporting Shalva and ensuring that his family's memory would be honored through their work.

In 2025, Sharabi visited Shalva again, this time requesting that they name a room in memory of his wife and daughters. Shalva founder and president Kalman Samuels and his son Nachman worked together on the project, turning Sharabi's vision into reality by creating the Shalva Sharabi Family Center. This center will offer diagnostic services, family support, and trauma treatment for people with disabilities across Gaza border communities and the southern region of Israel.