Kfar Aza Football Team Finds Healing and Purpose After October 7

The Kfar Aza Foxes, a football team from the Gaza Envelope kibbutz, found solace and a path forward through the sport following the October 7th attacks. Evacuated to Shapim, the surviving young members of the kibbutz, many of whom had lost friends and family, began playing football again, initially without proper shoes. Among them were brothers Yonatan and Ido Shamriz, whose brother Alon was abducted and later killed by IDF soldiers. Talia Berman watched from the sidelines while her children, Ziv and Gali, remained hostages, alongside other grieving families.

Yanai Katzir, a mechanical engineer, kibbutz member, and coach of the Kfar Aza Foxes, who lost his father David 'Kachko' Katzir in the attack, became a mentor and a voice for the community. He has been instrumental in sharing their story of resilience. Despite the devastation, the team has continued to play, seeing football not just as a game but as a tool for advocacy and healing. They aim to memorialize the fallen, fight for the return of hostages, and provide a space for mutual support.

A documentary titled 'Missing Roster,' directed by Avida Livni, chronicles the team's and community's journey. It highlights how, even amidst profound loss, the team reunited just 13 days after the attacks to play, recognizing the sport's therapeutic power. Katzir described the experience as finding something stable in his life, stating, "I understood that I have 51 memorials to attend twice a year for the rest of my lives." The team, which originated as Hapoel Kfar Aza in the late 1980s and became the Foxes in 2014, suffered significant losses, including three players: Neta Epstein, Tal Ayalon, and Yuval Salomon, and saw two of its members' children, Ziv and Gali Berman, abducted, with their brother Idan serving as captain.

Physically, Kfar Aza is still undergoing extensive reconstruction, with damaged homes being repaired and infrastructure rebuilt. A first wave of 20 families has returned, with a second group expected by mid-to-late next year. While Katzir has relocated to Ashalim and does not plan to return to Kfar Aza due to concerns for his daughters' safety, his mother is moving back. He remains committed to coaching the team, which is preparing for an upcoming tournament on October 16th against 11 other communities, aiming for their third consecutive championship.