7.10Next October will be better
7.10
Next October will be better
“To make next October better, we need to not only hope but also take action. And we know with certainty that it will be better. This is our mission, and our commitment, in the name of our beloved Noni and in memory of all those we lost that October. Next October will be better,” writes Izhar Shay.
In honor of his sixth birthday, I asked Yaron what he wishes for himself. "That I will live until God calls," he answered.
This was his response, captured in a video on a home camera we had long forgotten, until we watched it again after he fell in battle. A 6-year-old boy, raised in a secular home, wished for nothing more than to live until God called for him.
And he lived until that moment. A charming life, full of happiness, love, and simple acts of kindness. He embraced life as if there was no time to waste, as if he had to achieve everything, constantly aware that one day, God would call.
We made a decision to keep living
Then, the time came. October 7, Shemini Atzeret. And God did call him. We also knew why. Because that call saved many lives—babies, children, young parents, the elderly, and soldiers too. On October 7, 2023, on the holy day of Shemini Atzeret, God called our Noni back to Him.
A year after that tragic day, we still relive it constantly. The horror remains fresh in our minds, especially when we recall his last message to us: "Don't come here today. We are at war," which arrived around 6:40 in the morning. The anxiety over his fate grows as the hours pass, and the full extent of the horrors of the Hamas attack become clearer. The news of heavy fighting in the patrol’s sector and the wounded arriving at hospitals slowly signaled the impending disaster awaiting us.
We continue to relive our journey to Hadassah Hospital that Sunday evening, two parents desperate for news that does not arrive. In our minds, we once again meet the officer who lowers her tear-filled eyes and delivers the crushing words: our Yaron, Yaron Oree Shay, Noni, our beloved boy and hero, is gone.
We hear the shattered voices of his sister and two brothers when we call each of them—Lior in Buenos Aires, Ofir in Manila, Shir at home in Kadima—and break the news in three devastating words: "Noni is gone."
A year has passed, and yet the pain remains sharp. The mind refuses to accept what it has already been forced to acknowledge: our Noni is gone.
Yet, amid all this noise, pain, and heartbreak, despite the despair and overwhelming emptiness, hope still rises. There is a sense that not everything is lost, that there is a reason to wake up each morning, to get dressed, to leave the house, to do something.
We have built this hope together, with hard work and determination. As a family, we decided to continue living. We made a commitment to pursue happiness and to live a life full of meaning. Bereavement is with us every moment, every hour, and everywhere we go. But we also choose joy, creating new moments of happiness together.
Surrounding us is a warm, supportive family and loyal friends who never miss a chance to offer a hug or a kind word. A large, caring community stands by us, constantly offering gestures of support. There’s S., who prepares meals for the family every week; G., who brings cookies every Friday; S., who brings flowers. And many others who simply care. They don’t forget, and we are endlessly grateful.
They came to destroy, but we are building a better world
We also live "Next October." It’s more than just the name of a month that began a week ago and marks a year since the war. It’s an initiative launched during Yaron’s Shiva by Liron, a commemoration project in memory of all the victims of the Shemini Atzeret War. Innovative startup companies are adopting families of those who fell in defense of the homeland or were murdered in the massacre. Around 300 families have already been adopted by entrepreneurs who took on this brave commitment. We remember all those who lost their lives in this terrible war that was forced upon us. And we also create thousands of jobs, making a significant contribution to the Israeli economy through these startups. This is our message to the world: they came to destroy, but we build a better world through Israeli innovation.
This intense activity surrounding Next October also brings a sense of optimism, a light that not only touches us but also hundreds of other families. It’s a light that shines on the wounded and scarred Israeli society in a positive way.
Every day, we see hundreds of entrepreneurs who have committed themselves to doing good through commemorating the victims. We work with dozens of Next October volunteers who spread the goodness of this initiative. Together, we encounter venture capital investors, executives of leading companies, experienced entrepreneurs, and industry professionals—each gladly giving their time, expertise, and sometimes their money to the cause.
This collective effort gives us, and the other bereaved families, the sense that we are not alone. The memory of the fallen is forever preserved through Israeli innovation, entrepreneurship and optimism.
Israeli society needs healing and restoration
At the beginning of this month, we launched a "good deeds" initiative as part of Next October, led by Shahar, one of our volunteers. We created a website to highlight the good deeds of those who fell during the war, each in their own unique way. We invite the public to join us, whether by adopting the good deeds of those no longer with us or by sharing other acts of kindness.
Israeli society needs comfort, healing, and substantial rebuilding. At Next October, we believe that spreading goodness is a crucial part of the national recovery process. To make next October better, we need to not only hope but also take action.
And we know with certainty that it will be better. Next October will always be better, and the following October even more so. This is our mission, and our commitment, in the name of our beloved Noni and in memory of all those we lost that October. Next October will be better.
