Yanai Hetzroni
Yanai and his twin sister, Liel, were born to Shira on April 6, 2011. They were healthy, sweet, round-faced babies. When the seriousness of Shira's medical condition became apparent, the entire family rallied together to take care of the children.
Yanai and his sister grew up with their great-aunt Ayala and were blessed with a warm home and a devoted, extended family: Avia, their grandfather, also became a father figure to them, while Ayala was both mother and aunt. Nitza, Avia's sister, called them “nechyanim” - her own Hebrew blended word for children who were both "grandchildren" and "nieces/nephews". Shira's cousins all took part as much as they could. Yanai and Liel visited their mother every day, a routine that reflected the enduring bond between them and kept her close in their daily lives.
Yanai had a special ease with animals and loved spending time at the kibbutz zoo where he volunteered taking care of animals and their habitats. Being near the animals seemed to come naturally to him. To some extent, he was an introverted boy, yet he was curious, intelligent, and always willing to help. He also knew how to clown around, and his playfulness made him fun to be around. The children in the “Lilac” Class remember how he once rode through the kibbutz on a scooter that was overloaded with kids. His friends called him ‘Kitos’ and ‘Hezboki’ - nicknames that hinted perhaps at his very well-groomed tufts of hair.
Yanai loved spending time with his grandfather, Avia. Saturday mornings were special times when they often took morning trips around the kibbutz together, sometimes on foot and sometimes by scooter. They liked riding in the ambulance together and talking about medicine, emergency care, and even anatomy. Yanai loved to spend hours in the kitchen with his sister, baking, eating, and goofing around. He loved to play basketball, soccer, and, above all, tennis. Together with a classmate, he excelled in the mixed doubles. He and his grandmother, Eva, were devoted Barcelona football fans. In an old photo, you can see them together at a Barca match at the Sami Ofer Stadium. Barcelona fan club members in Israel attended his funeral. Yanai also shared a love of music with his grandmother.
In 2023, Yanai completed grade school at Sdot Eshkol Elementary and moved to the 7th grade at Nofei Habsor Junior High. The 2023 school year was meant to be Yanai’s Bar Mitzvah year - a year of preparation, celebration, and promise. It was supposed to be challenging and full of joy. But that promise was never fulfilled.
Yanai was murdered on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, along with his twin-sister, Liel, and Ayala who was like a mother to them.
Avia, his grandfather, was also murdered that same horrible Shabbat.
That unique quartet left this world together, even death could not tear them apart.
May his name be a blessing.
