Shahar and Shlomi Mathias

Shahar and Shlomi Mathias lived at Kibbutz Holit with three children, Rotem, Shir, and Shaked. Shahar was also known as Deborah. Susan Troen, Shahar’s sister, describes the parents as musicians and educators who founded the Hagar Jewish-Arab school in Be’er Sheva and joined the protests for democracy. Kan’s account says they devoted themselves to music, education, human rights, and their children.

On October 7, 2023, Shahar, Shlomi, and Rotem went to the safe room in Rotem’s bedroom. Shir and Shaked lived in the young-adult quarters and hid in their own rooms. Shahar covered Rotem with her body. Attackers blew the front door, broke into the safe room, threw a grenade, and fired. Shahar was killed. Shlomi was fatally wounded. Rotem was hit in the stomach, leg, and near an eye. He hid for hours, part of that time under his mother’s body, until soldiers found him at 4:36 p.m. and took him to Soroka. Shir and Shaked found each other after dark and left on the last shuttle. The parents were buried in Omer on October 16, 2023.

The October 2023 campaign said Rotem was 16 then and seriously wounded. It speaks of all three children moving toward jobs, homes, and families of their own, and it does not call Shir and Shaked minors. Susan and Aron Troen, their maternal aunt and uncle, wrote that they would manage the money. Susan is the GoFundMe organizer. The fundraiser was created for trauma care, mental health support, education, housing, lost belongings, and later needs. On October 11, 2026 the page still showed a donate link.