Guardians of the Walls" - Aner Shapiro z"l

Sergeant Aner Shapira was a different kind of hero. He was a devoted Hapoel fan, a gifted artist, a people person, and a warrior. He served as a team leader in the Nahal's Orev reconnaissance unit. He had taken a holiday leave, and on the night of October 7th, he went out with his friend Hersh Goldberg-Pollin z"l, who was killed in action, and another friend to celebrate life and music at the "Nova" festival. As the murderous attack by the Hamas terror organization began, Aner was called back by his team commander and headed toward the Sufa base. When he and his friends arrived at the Re'im intersection, they began to hear gunfire and entered a nearby fortified vehicle, where 24 frightened civilians had already sought refuge from the party. When the terrorists reached the fortified vehicle and began throwing grenades inside, it was Aner the hero who stood alone at the entrance, calmed the people, instructed them to protect themselves, and started deflecting the grenades outside with his bare hands, looking death in the eyes.

Aner stood alone at the entrance of the fortified vehicle

The grenades were thrown inside, and one by one, Aner calmly and courageously deflected them, effectively blocking the terrorists from entering the fortified vehicle. He deflected seven grenades until the eighth exploded in his hand, killing him at just 22 years old. After Aner was killed, the terrorists managed to enter, murder some of the people, and take five hostages, including Hersh, Aner's good friend, who was murdered in captivity, with his body returned just over a month ago.


The Heroic Video of Aner Deflecting the Grenades

Aner was killed as a hero and will be remembered for eternity. After his death, Aner's family decided to publish his songs and released a debut album that includes five tracks. His father, Moshe, revealed in April on "Ulpan Shishi" that in one of his songs, Aner wrote: "Updating my will, if I die, release my album." Unfortunately, he was killed, and we need to release this album. This is an explicit will." In Aner's song "Brotherly Hate," Shanan Street, the lead singer of the Hadag Nahash band, added a verse. He concluded the verse with, "We save you a place in the boat, and by the well, there’s one seat for you and one seat for Hersh." Aner and Hersh were inseparable. They spent hours together in nature, hours in a boat (the fans' pub of Hapoel), and yes, also hours in the stands. And unfortunately, as Rachel, Hersh's mother, mourned her son: "You are now with the beautiful Aner." In life and in death, they did not part. May their memory be blessed, may their memory be a revolution.

Aner's song, Brotherly Hate.