Yuval Sharabi, daughter of Yossi Sharabi, who was kidnapped from Beeri on October 7 and later killed in Gaza, has completed a combat instructors course in the IDF and was named the course’s outstanding trainee. She had nearly abandoned the idea of enlisting because of anger at the army, after her father was killed in an airstrike during the war, but eventually chose to serve in a meaningful role.
Sharabi survived 12 hours in a burning house in Beeri on October 7, while her father stepped out of the safe room and told the attackers, "Take me instead of the children." Her partner, Ofir Engel, was also kidnapped and later freed after 54 days, and her uncle, Eli Sharabi, was kidnapped after his wife and daughters were murdered and was released after 491 days in captivity. Yuval said that at first she felt she could not trust the army, but during her national service year she came to see that Hamas, not the IDF, had kidnapped her father, and that if he had not been taken he likely would not have died.
She told reporters, "When I got here, all I wanted was to be Yuval, not Yuval Sharabi," saying she wanted the uniform to let her set her story aside for a while and simply be a soldier and instructor. She originally hoped for a naval officers course, but chose instruction because she had always enjoyed guiding others in the kibbutz, youth movement, and bar mitzvah program. She said staying active helps her avoid being overwhelmed by grief.
The course also included Mikal Most, whose brother, Amit Most, was killed on October 7 while rescuing wounded soldiers under heavy fire. Their commander, Capt. Carmel Madar, who is also a bereaved sister, said she treats the trainees as soldiers first but leads with greater sensitivity because they are serving in the shadow of October 7. At the graduation ceremony, Eli Sharabi attended and said it was moving to see Yuval finish the course, even though her father could not be there.
Yuval’s final field march was dedicated to Yossi Sharabi, and she said wearing the flag during it felt like closing a circle. She was then chosen as the course’s outstanding trainee, and she will soon begin training her first cadets. She said she is no longer embarrassed by her name, adding, "Everyone in this country has a story" and that she is proud of hers.
