Yarin Marie Peled
Yarin Marie Peled was born on Kibbutz Be'eri to Tal and Nimrod in April 2003. She had two sisters, Eli Shitrit and Lihi Peled. Nimrod, Yarin's father, works in the field of medical management, while her mother, Tal, manages the quality department at Be'eri Printing. Her parents met in 2001, got married, and gave birth to Yarin and Lihi. Yarin had another sister, Eli, from her mom’s previous marriage. Yarin always referred to her mother as "Imihu", and Yarin was affectionately called "Nini" by the family, a nickname that accompanied her until the end of her life. During her army service she used to play voice messages of her dad calling her “Nini” for her friends to hear it. Her mother says, “She had large blue eyes, a calm personality, and a smile that said it all.”
A close friendship prevailed among the three sisters and Yarin was considered the family glue. She held a central place, connecting everyone – an angel who knew how to bring all the pieces together.
As a child, Yarin stood out with her sharp and unique thinking, as well as her sense of humor. While other girls chose pink shirts, Yarin preferred green and orange. Even as a child, she understood sarcasm, found the hidden humor between the lines, and excelled in sports. She did gymnastics until 8th grade and throughout junior and high school she played volleyball. Yarin and her sister Lihi both played on the school team, and together they led the team to win the national championship. Thanks to volleyball, at 15 she also met her boyfriend Idan Kishinevsky, a relationship that lasted until her death. Her sister Eli recalls that on their first meeting he threw a ball at her. Later on, they discovered their shared passion for caregiving and medicine. When Yarin took tests to volunteer for first aid Magen David Adom “MADA", Idan sent her summaries of the material for her to use. They continued talking and never stopped.
Yarin was drawn to the medical field from a young age. When her younger sister Lihi, at the age of seven, had a severe epileptic seizure in her sleep, Yarin was there, called her parents, and developed a strong desire to help and care for others, to know what to do and how to respond in times of distress.
At the age of 15, Yarin began volunteering with MADA in Ofakim, which took up most of her free time. She loved providing first aid and dreamed of becoming a paramedic. She was adamant about becoming a paramedic in the military. She further insisted on serving in the Gaza envelope, despite its volatility, specifically in the Intensive Care Unit in the Nahal Oz base. Yarin saw it as a mission to protect her home and also to care for the people of Be'eri. Her dedication was absolute, and she continued volunteering with MADA while serving in the military. When she came home on Thursdays, she would immediately go on duty at MADA. She excelled both in volunteering and in her military service. The divisional chief medical officer asked her to stay on as a career soldier as his assistant. Although she had already started studying for the psychometric exam and intended to study paramedics and nursing at Ben-Gurion University, she accepted the offer. Her sister Eli said, "Your role fulfilled you; they fought for you to stay on, they wanted a bit more from you; they didn't want to let you go."
Yarin and Idan, who was born at Mishmar HaNegev, were about to move in together. They were always competing with each other: who knew more, who was a better paramedic and who had more difficult cases. Their relationship, which lasted five years, was mature and close and they found in each other the love of their lives. They had already planned their future together and it was clear that they would start planning for their wedding as soon as she finished her service. Idan said, "We grew up together," describing Yarin as always cheerful, happy, laughing, and ready to help. They were inseparable, and Idan mentioned that “She was always there, no matter what time it was – she would come. She was always ready to lend a listening ear. There was no one who did not like her at the station. She always wanted to do as many shifts as possible even when she didn’t have the time. She was perfect, I have no other word to describe her.”
Yarin's best friend from Be'eri was Nevo, but Yarin was always surrounded by friends, each receiving her full attention, ensuring that no one felt left out. Her friends from the military service described her as the social heart of the base – a soldier who loved singing Mizrahi songs loudly in the car, playing backgammon, cooking and teaching others to cook, and making everyone laugh until their stomachs hurt. Her friend Shai says, "I knew that as long as she was with me - nothing was scary." And another friend, Lia Ifergan, adds, "It was impossible not to be her friend; it was simply not possible."
On the morning of October 7th, Yarin woke up in the Nahal Oz base to the sound of alarms and explosions. She and her friends ran to the open shelter, and Yarin managed to speak with her mother on the phone. A grenade was thrown towards the shelter, and Yarin, along with her friend Shir Biton, returned to their living quarters and took cover. When they encountered a terrorist, they killed him, but another terrorist surprised them in the room and killed both of them.
Yarin will be remembered by her family, friends, and acquaintances as a girl full of laughter and devoted to others; the cheerful worker in the kibbutz grocery store loved and appreciated by all the members of the kibbutz; a committed and respected MADA volunteer; a volleyball player who did not stop until victorious; a daughter, sister, girlfriend, and friend who served as an anchor, providing strength, light, and joy to those around her.
We carry her heart. We carry her heart within our hearts forever.
May her memory be blessed.
