Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application His extraordinary life—from pre-independence Jerusalem to the Philadelphia area which he called home for nearly half a century—was a life of devotion to family Beloved husband of Rachel (nee Sirkis); Loving father of Daniel Shoham (Virginia Vega-Vargas) and Gilad Shoham (Dana Manoliu); Dear brother of Dvora Reif; Adoring grandfather of Jacob Born Uri Perl in 1942 to Yaakov and Sophie Perl Uri grew up amid Israel’s 1948 triumph and the Holocaust’s somber revelations A teenage battle with severe colitis could not stop him for long and he recovered to serve as a front-line medic in the Israeli paratroopers Uri was aboard a Hercules aircraft that airlifted an entire mobile hospital to Kibrit Air Base a captured Egyptian airfield on the west side of the Suez Canal evaded a launched surface-to-air missile as ground battles raged below Uri treated a gravely wounded Egyptian Colonel who refused a life-saving blood transfusion citing prejudice against “Jewish blood.” The command presented a Geneva Convention form using halting Arabic learned from booklets engaged the Colonel in conversations over weeks of care These exchanges dismantled deep-seated biases served on the Egyptian team negotiating the Camp David Peace Agreement and raised three sons—Daniel and his wife Virginia and Gilad and his wife Dana—and adored five grandsons: Jacob Uri built a CPA practice in Israel until 1977 when he was recruited to Philadelphia to help establish Hosiery Corporation of America (HCA) He also maintained a thriving CPA office in the greater Philadelphia area for many years he embraced home computers and remote work he delighted in blending Manischewitz with single malt and host of the daily Zoom minyan for nearly two years he shunned gossip and lived with integrity Relatives and friends are invited to Graveside Services 11 AM precisely at Laurel Hill West Cemetery (sec Shiva will be observed at his late residence Uri Shoham’s life was one of courage Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors you published an article in "Fortune" magazine in which you described the way organizations currently work with AI as "Prompt and Pray"-meaning they have to pray that AI will provide a reliable answer You said your biggest concern was that AI was "unreliable." What did you mean "What I mean is that you can't depend on it if you’re brilliant 95% of the time but talk nonsense 5% of the time "There are companies testing hundreds of AI projects The main reason is inaccuracy of the models: they’re brilliant but they sometimes generate complete nonsense there are errors and fabricated content hide." is the only large AI model developed in Israel Large language models are the basis for many well-known chatbots like ChatGPT "We’re talking about almost zero errors we’ve come across almost nothing bizarre They have an AI-based customer service system and want to provide reliable automated responses to customers 'What is my checking account balance?' or 'What is the best investment option for me?'" We don’t see it at the top of AI model rankings The top positions are taken by models from OpenAI and they don’t pay much attention to these rankings We didn’t invest in an AI chatbot for the general public which would have helped strengthen our branding Did we make a mistake by not launching a chatbot It’s very expensive and requires a great deal of work the question is whether we want to raise a few hundred million more dollars to do it AI21 hasn’t invested much in branding which helps organizations reduce errors even when using competing models like GPT and the Claude Sonnet app Is this a major strategic direction for AI21 The various models will always have some degree of inaccuracy So what’s missing is an AI system that adds oversight and increases reliability." it’s too early to say whether this is a success or not As for profitability-most companies you talk to in this field don’t even know how to spell the word." "My goal is to create the smartest AI in the world If every organization in the world uses our software raise billions of dollars every year and are valued at tens of billions you’ve raised only a few hundred million We’re not terribly interested in creating a model that can draw a donkey on the moon We don’t play the game of throwing every piece of data we can find onto a mass of processors and seeing what happens and launching a chatbot that’s just a crowd-pleaser along the way doesn’t require that kind of wastefulness The amount we’ve raised so far-$336 million-is still money "Neural networks are simpler than the human brain" left Google to warn about the dangers of AI Can machines compete with our intelligence But from there to death notices for the human race allowing us to do things we couldn’t do before We’ll stop doing some tasks because machines will do them better the question will be about where the boundary between human and machine lies or will machines be integrated into our bodies That’s the real question-not whether machines will replace us but where we draw the line between us and them." ‘There is nothing the human brain can do that silicon can’t.’ Do you agree The human brain is an incredibly complex system the more we realize how little we actually know about it The functioning of artificial neural networks is far simpler than what happens in the human brain." "My biggest concern is not that AI is too smart they’re not minor-it talks absolute nonsense is the erosion of the information layer that is the foundation of liberal democracy I don’t like terms like 'fake news' or 'post-truth,' but we live in an age of information overload It’s therefore harder and harder to know what’s true "What really scares me is AI’s ability to mimic people’s voices and images This strikes at something very fundamental in us Hinton’s student and one of the founders of OpenAI established a company called Safe Superintelligence that has offices in Tel Aviv Its goal is to prevent AI from advancing to dangerous places Do you think there’s a need for a company like that He knows how to do AI and train networks at a very high cost The company he founded is not a philanthropic venture; it’s a for-profit business we need to see what it does in practice-I assume it will be something interesting." The State Comptroller determined that Israel has no AI strategy and the budget is very small - only one billion shekels until 2027 We’ve declined in the international rankings in this field "You have to take these rankings with a grain of salt I know this well because I built the world’s leading AI index Regarding the state comptroller’s report I’ll say: we have a good starting point We have excellent researchers in academia and good AI companies "I distinguish between companies that produce AI and those that consume AI-both are important We have more companies that consume AI than ones that produce it there is the beginning of an AI infrastructure such as large data centers and research infrastructure at the universities "If you count at the number of researchers in Israeli academic institutions who focus on core AI At Stanford University alone (where Shoham taught for 28 years there are 100 researchers working in this field There are efforts underway to increase this number The total budget approved so far for the national AI program is one billion shekels I say this humbly because resources in Israel are limited and it’s not my place to determine national priorities or the UAE in the number of graphic processors Israel must establish the right connections with organizations worldwide to ensure access to computing power and to contribute our expertise to the global AI community." The United Arab Emirates is investing vast sums in purchasing GPUs and developing solar and nuclear power plants "This is exactly what we’re not able to do We don’t have the funds or energy for this We do have supplemental resources: algorithmic capability and the ability to develop technologies based on it and these are the things we must excel at." The Prime Minister’s Office intends to establish a new AI authority apparently because it views the programs that were in place to date "Today there is an active, functioning program, and it’s important to understand this. The TELEM Forum that leads it includes the Israel Council for Higher Education (Vatat) the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (Mafat) and in my opinion the more government backing and the more resources a good example of a country that has succeeded in advancing AI is France "President Macron decided that AI was a super-important area and took care to allocate resources and raise its profile internationally Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 30 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Our weekly email is chockful of interesting and relevant insights into Jewish history How I formed a personal connection with a hostage I never met Tal Shoham was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri Hamas terrorists bound his hands with zip ties tossed him into the trunk of a car and drove to Gaza Whenever enjoying a hot meal or a relaxing shower I’d think of Tal in Hamas hell – hour after hour When enjoying clean clothes and a comfortable bed as the entire Jewish nation plunged into searing trauma I was desperate to forge a personal connection with the hostages I discovered that the second cousin of my sister-in-law Pearl is married to Tal Shoham’s uncle Tal Shoham playing with his kids before the war Yet Tal is no “distant relative.” October 7 proved the entire Jewish people are one family – 14 million bodies with one interconnected soul This Shabbat, our prayers were answered when, after 505 excruciating days in captivity (and a despicable hostage handover ceremony), Tal reunited with his wife and two young children, themselves hostages released in a previous deal This latest deal with the depraved Hamas is joy mixed with grief – a bittersweet storm of emotions This exorbitantly high price is viewed by our enemies as a victory We grieve the Jewish blood and treasure sacrificed to apprehend these murderers in the first place We are despondent that the forces of evil live to see another day – the vast majority who will resume terror We lament how things might have been different had the UN – rather than fomenting hate against Israel – denounced the monsters of Hamas use kidnapping and extortion as weapons against us We fear that the next Sinwar is among the freed prisoners and shudder at how this deal incentivizes additional hostage-taking We have rescued Tal and other members of our family in distress ever since Abraham rescued his nephew Lot (Genesis ch the Jewish people have an ironclad commitment: No rest until every hostage is brought home you save an entire world,” says the Talmud As antisemites throughout history remind us It is precisely this kinship and commitment that will enable us to emerge from this nightmare stronger than ever the long arm of the IDF will exact proper retribution I am reminded that there is light and hope justice and righteousness will God-willing win the day Tal Shoham and his son Naveh on a helicopter en route to a hospital after his release Rabbi Shraga Simmons is the co-founder of Aish.com, and co-author of "48 Ways to Wisdom" (ArtScroll). He is Founder and Director of Aish.com's advanced learning site. He is co-founder of HonestReporting.com, and author of "David & Goliath" the definitive account of anti-Israel media bias he holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem He lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel My daughter was given Tal's name as part of the nation on pause shabos initiative If she sends you a direct email could you forward it to the family Thank you for signing up for the aish.com free newsletter '#' : location.hash;window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery = location.search === '' && location.href.slice(0 location.href.length - window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash.length).indexOf('?') !== -1 '?' : location.search;if (window.history && window.history.replaceState) {var ogU = location.pathname + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUQuery + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash;history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/captors-fattened-up-shoham-and-wenkert-to-make-them-look-better-for-their-release-report\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=UprMOcGDfZTQNbUBDAvHv054Bn1Kgahb1Qkipww_v9w-1746540075-1.0.1.1-GwunXWSg5Yx4trFUlOTctbFT1mJK1XtWY2HjOtuxCU4" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null ogU);}}document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cpo);}()); "\/liveblog_entry\/families-of-omer-wenkert-omer-shem-tov-eliya-cohen-and-hisham-al-sayed-say-theyll-be-released-saturday\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=ljiFFc3dixzwGB8FdV0g7XkbqJMkY_ZJxiCANSDUVwg-1746540087-1.0.1.1-vQWqjjqznUNMUvmGue7XlbVDc0yBOpIw0pTe55AngTw" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/photos-show-tal-shoham-reunited-with-family-after-release\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=qLHn8nbZ.r.K4VrwJYF6pWQVTWUE_6W2gyXDhEzQJqE-1746540098-1.0.1.1-VwQ12SmiIIzqHffLxgoeBQHdvxbLUuK0l1vHY6r1EFY" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/released-hostage-tal-shoham-says-fellow-captives-discussed-suicide\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Y0GecJJego4ksxZCvaRKwTUMdyEMCDpq8wnsoSJz5lk-1746540102-1.0.1.1-bVmEet6pB6jNVqW20wwBdln.dZZKbvxBh.XvYE6DJTo" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/freed-hostage-tal-shoham-discharged-from-hospital\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=xFPQIpn9ufGxBclDZSQ4BTirTadr7Aov879ZrqpcHak-1746540112-1.0.1.1-2FscSmFJSQJdLV5X9_r3GCF78ATYIrAR0aqXHNvnZm8" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/tal-shoham-and-avera-mengistu-now-in-israeli-hands\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=2xRpaedOj51Ll1a8isZUOZAfB0QREdxctoNOCB075eE-1746540120-1.0.1.1-osOQSRU6G3gjE9V5EQiSIi_Q0LeFXj7gECUUgLx8lnI" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Shoham told Fox news that despite the short distance between the kibbutz from where he was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip And just 30 minutes away [on the Israeli side of the border] Open gallery viewTal Shoham escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah last month.Credit: Jehad Alshrafi/AP "Just as someone emerges from a womb alive I emerged from the tunnel I was held in and was born again," he says On October 7, 2023 Tal Shoham was visiting Kibbutz Be'eri with his wife three-year-old Yahel and eight-year-old Nave The northern Israeli family had traveled south to spend the holiday with Adi's parents they rushed into the safe room along with Adi's parents Shoham stepped outside to try to reason with them The gunmen executed several of them on the spot "I went out and raised my hands," Shoham told Fox News."A man with murder in his eyes led me onto the road and to a vehicle Some of them were filming me on their phones I was in shock – there was an entire battalion of Hamas terrorists inside our kibbutz bodies of people I knew who were murdered on the ground Shoham recounted his first moments upon arriving in Gaza trying to beat me from all sides," he told Fox News Shoham said that his captors pointed a rifle at him and he believed that he was about to be executed 'I can't control whether you kill me or not,' and I raised my hands – but I refused to kneel Open gallery viewTal Shoham during his interview with Fox News on Saturday.Credit: Screenshot taken from the Fox News interview But Shoham said that worse than the severe hunger was not knowing whether his family was alive "Never in my life have I experienced suffering like this being alone with relentless thoughts –that was worse than even extreme hunger." "I had to accept that my family was dead," Tal said "I sat on the floor and imagined myself at their funeral I stood in front of a grave – one large for my wife and two small for my children – and I eulogized each of them That was the hardest thing I've ever done – burying my family in my mind." Open gallery viewTal Shoham with his wife, children and parents upon returning from Hamas captivity, last month.Credit: IDF SpokespersonAfter 34 days in captivity, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal were brought to the home denying them food while eating in front of them The hostages were allowed only about 300 calories a day – Shoham's weight dropped from 174 pounds to 110 pounds when he was released – and speaking was forbidden Open gallery viewEvyatar David (right) and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.After 50 days in captivity, Shoham received a letter, telling him that his wife and children had been kidnapped but released as part of the cease-fire's first stage "The most important thing had happened – my family was safe I didn't need to be a father and husband protecting them anymore Shoham told Fox News that there were four mattresses on the floor and a hole in the ground for a toilet "It took me weeks to stop feeling like the walls were closing in to adapt to the oxygen deprivation," he said Shoham said that he and Evyatar developed severe infections due to the conditions in captivity but they wouldn't be visited by a doctor for months and purple with internal bleeding," He recalls fearing we might develop clots from prolonged immobility they realized the issue was malnutrition and provided us with vitamin supplements for seven days but it dramatically improved our condition." When Shoham was finally released after 505 days in captivity and reunited with his family Shoham said it took days for reality to set in yet it still felt like a dream," Shoham told Fox News "It took a few days to fully grasp that it was real Open gallery viewTal Shoham as he arrived at Beilinson hospital in central Israel last month.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP "Among us The terrorists brought in whatever horrors they wanted inflicted whatever cruelty and pain they could And that was crucial to making it out unbroken." Shoham called Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dala his "brothers." "I can't sleep at night knowing they are still there," he said "\/liveblog_entry\/hostages-avera-mengistu-and-tal-shoham-emerge-from-hamas-cars\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=uL6mZodWAsUPSeUUeJQEo42e3v8TUljMwQQJXHK28pk-1746540161-1.0.1.1-glEpx.EmkEVaDcl9bZ2PKy2fIx3U0qB1XuTHKnzyEus" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/brother-of-tal-shoham-begs-for-deal-that-will-bring-fathers-home-to-their-children\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=2MgzvkjBZyaC4eo59x6BmsSRfrtvLwEGvTZKh8ZTszM-1746540167-1.0.1.1-FtqcrWVvYrIXKSGoXg4wdo3g0AFD_5xeqrty6k.znhU" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Tal Shoam and his children Nave and Yahel | Photo: Courtesy was among those kidnapped from kibbutz Be'eri during a family visit that turned tragic when Hamas terrorists launched their brutal attack on Oct Though his young children have since been released and returned home After 505 days in Hamas captivity, Tal was released from Hamas captivity as part of the hostage deal The Shoham family had traveled from their community in Lower Galilee to visit their grandmother forcing family members to take shelter in the safe room for hours until contact was eventually lost confirmation came that they had been taken hostage One particularly poignant account came from his who expressed her longing in the simple words of a child: "We see many daddies just not our daddy." She drew a picture of her father with outstretched arms and a smile "He's doing this with his arms but no one comes to him." A senior Hamas official accuses Israel of pressuring Qatar to apply leverage on the terrorist group: 'We are in a.. The terrorist organization Hamas released another video showing a sign of life from hostage Maxim Herkin As Israel prepares for an escalation in Gaza Palestinian sources say the upcoming talks will revisit previous proposals Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] "\/liveblog_entry\/tal-shoham-and-avera-mengistu-arrive-at-idf-facility\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=8TLH1ShZlF7IrdElIVGrq.2aLIOKtcwtIT6Vdv_gMiQ-1746540178-1.0.1.1-befBl32mi14dUWsRWQRoGT5Zqst7xhRMmx49p0A20Ro" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/families-of-avera-mengistu-tal-shoham-delighted-at-loved-ones-return\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=TclJXjCRsvVib_hbK4.1cnzR4i3QRlT8KJ3DGja_uIA-1746540179-1.0.1.1-_HTfan_pTfDQx3TuVJ5Irg2YtUmeJbZw6QaB7sh.zOY" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/ex-hostage-tal-shoham-says-he-refused-to-kneel-to-hamas-captors-wouldnt-show-them-he-was-afraid\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=dxGYe_jzp7yWVbKZlGjIjxtHAJPQVSQ2w6GsKSlXuzY-1746540186-1.0.1.1-RgIv9rgZbvnntyliAHBxWyPiNZCi_7dl.vpyx0flIM0" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/image-shows-freed-hostage-tal-shoham-reuniting-with-family-at-hospital\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=AxvuLbyMK.3.wxYeYpfYZojNRZ7hkvnKp56Y7JLSLIA-1746540189-1.0.1.1-OBLizIrtTQt865U.ub5Jp2XZIVp.Nt7gyh2770ChgBs" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/video-shows-family-of-tal-shoham-reacting-to-his-release\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=hu2rn8_7uZ.xrZfz.yWxHayR53X.0BSEGcPXv9My_94-1746540190-1.0.1.1-CW7X1XQQud73c6OLhThndJwZfggY9quRgeGtckj8Jec" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/netanyahu-meets-released-hostage-tal-shoham-discusses-hamas-psychological-warfare\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Zj.tn63jaTo1oMhn6CGgV9S_oybSymfJZi8MRzIqw.I-1746540196-1.0.1.1-XUSlfGMKTWUPMfnF.Tn.4mfQtLkWhCMPqfeKogELWL4" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/shoham-family-unforgettable-moment-mengistus-prayers-went-unanswered-until-today\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=VswpxlHgwER2zqSTfpAsTxBXxB1lHLIOsKI9U28p8q4-1746540198-1.0.1.1-2G1QeE_nfCrTOK5dRoYwjBuoterAzt_MmeYsNl7Cqxc" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null "\/liveblog_entry\/tal-shoham-waves-to-adoring-crowd-at-hospital\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=zQeTIHWE2lDrKxXwtE.NGKvVBcu38huFePmeDXmZa.M-1746540204-1.0.1.1-55yuf7fqxchCR4jBfavWCmKOULHO0Wcxq4ejOABkidQ" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null Strauss Group (TASE: STRS) has announced that it is selling its 50% stake in Sabra Dipping Co. and PepsiCo-Strauss Fresh Dips & Spreads International GmbH (Obela) for $243.8 million Strauss acquired 51% of Sabra for $9 million and in 2008 PepsiCo bought the balance of the shares and formed a joint venture with PepsiCo Since that time Sabra has become the biggest dips and spreads company in the US and the leader in the hummus market Subsequently the company expanded outside of the US with the Obela brand Strauss will receive an option to buy a 2.5% stake in PepsiCo’s salted snacks operations in Israel The deal to sell Sabra reflects a continuation of Strauss’s 2024-2026 strategy of focusing on its core activities This latest strategy includes strengthening its home base in Israel continued growth in its water activities worldwide while continuing to invest in developing its abilities and strengthening its resilience and preparedness for the future Sabra operates in the refrigerated fresh dips salads and spreads field in the US and Canada while Obela operates in Australia New Zealand and Mexico with an emphasis on hummus and guacamole Sabra is the biggest dips and spreads brand in the US in terms of sales and market share while in terms of hummus it has the biggest market share in the US Sabra and Obela have 700 employees (as of the end of 2023) and an advanced production plant in Virginia "The move constitutes another pillar in the implementation of the group's strategy leverage our resources in the best possible way and lead significant business moves for Strauss We thank all Sabra employees of all generations and PepsiCo for the extraordinary journey from a small salad company to the leader in the hummus market in the US." Strauss estimates that it will record a net capital gain in the range of NIS 319-325 million from the deal in its 2024 financial results Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 22 "\/liveblog_entry\/red-cross-en-route-to-idf-forces-in-gaza-with-hostages-shoham-and-mengistu\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=WamXWNLIRFq6SRxC4vhzAX7WP.5Xco9ZXFhWG.Gul7c-1746540209-1.0.1.1-UBpuZ.jGl94txn9TJi94eHnuwtHSM4ooRUFDNlpCQno" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null The parents of Staff Sergeant Yuval Shoham learned of his death when they arrived at the base where he served The parents were on a trip to the south yesterday and planned to stop at the base and bring a package they had prepared for their son casualty officers were waiting for them at the base to tell them the bitter news Yuval had already sent his parents a message expressing his joy at their expected arrival and the package they had planned to bring him served in the IDF's 9th Armored Battalion He fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip An IDF investigation determined that his death was the result of an operational accident told Ynet that Yuval knew Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was murdered in Hamas captivity in Gaza in August "The story of returning the hostages was in his heart I understood that he would walk around the Gaza Strip shouting 'Hersh'." eulogized Shoham on Kan Reshet Bet: "A big boy A young man who made the most of every moment in life The Shoham family is part of the "Hakhel" community in Jerusalem which has already lost several soldiers in this war "We are known notoriously for the murder of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin We have learned to deal with mourning and loss We're getting ready for another big production together with the parents of Ben Zussman and Aner Shapira," Ben-Sasson said Ben Sasson spoke about Yuval's parents: "His parents are amazing people who gave and give everything for the country They have done and continue to do all they can out of commitment and will in order to make this place even better." Staff Sergeant Yuval Shoham will be laid to rest at 2 p.m His family issued a statement last night saying: "The child is gone and where am I to go was killed this morning in the Gaza Strip." who was freed from captivity during the recent hostage release deal gave an interview to CBS’ “60 Minutes” which aired on Sunday night The program also featured testimony from captivity survivors Yarden Bibas, as well as Keith and Aviva Siegel recalled the time he spent in captivity with Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David two best friends who were kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival and are still being held captive I met their parents [upon returning from captivity] to tell them about their sons," Tal recalled in the interview with Lesley Stahl As Tal spoke about the devastating conditions they endured he revealed the unimaginable toll the captivity took on Guy the second moment he's in the worst place in the world to start to realize that this is the reality now," Shoham explained Guy and Evyatar faced daily beatings and were given only minimal amounts of pita The water they received was often contaminated "Sometimes the water tastes like blood Sometimes it was so salty that you could not drink it you will stay alive," Shoham described Shoham recounted how they bartered with one of the guards The exchange was that he will get a massage every day a can of tuna or sardines," Shoham said He shared a particularly heartbreaking moment when Guy and Evyatar expressed their despair "One of the toughest things that I heard from them they told me more than once that why stay alive now Why just not take their own life with their own hand and finish it really fear that they are now alone," added Shoham By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org Shoham is at least the ninth graduate of his Jerusalem high school to die in the war Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Yuval Shoham were childhood friends having grown up together in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood where both their families were involved in the egalitarian prayer community Hakhel was taken hostage from the Nova music festival on Oct Yuval was among the soldiers tasked with finding him shouting “Hersh” as he patrolled the Gaza Strip When Goldberg-Polin’s family announced Hersh’s death over the summer spoke of her family and their community’s pain “It really feels like he’s our son,” Oshrat said at the time “The whole neighborhood is here with Hersh signs Everyone was hoping that we would meet in the joy of liberation and not in this end when the Israeli military announced that Yuval Shoham was killed in an operational accident in Jabalia was serving as a staff sergeant in the 9th Battalion in the 401st Brigade Thousands attended his funeral Monday at Mount Herzl after lining the streets leading from their Baka home an associate professor of Jewish history at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas and bring home those still being held hostage “I call on the prime minister — it’s no secret that we don’t see eye to eye, but here over my son’s fresh grave I demand of you in his name and in the name of so many others: Make a deal,” said Ephraim “Our loved ones are fighting in Gaza so that the kidnapped will return I promise that we will walk the path we walked in the light Your personal candle has unfortunately gone out Yuval Shoham was at least the ninth graduate of Himmelfarb High School, a religious public high school in Jerusalem, to die in the war. “The concept of bringing back the hostages was in his heart,” his brother, Shahar Shoham, told Ynet “He knew Hersh Goldberg-Polin personally and the fact that he was there [in Gaza] connected him even more He went around Gaza looking for him and shouting ‘Hersh.’” Our beloved Hersh also did not return home Many graves were dug,” Yuval’s mother said in the sermon And our brothers and sisters are kidnapped and languishing in captivity.” She did not deny the brutal costs of the war and we cannot put the brokenness and disaster behind us,” she said “But it is our duty to find on this Yom Kippur — alongside the broken heart JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent I accept the Privacy Policy Staff Sergeant Yuval Shoham fell in combat in northern Gaza The Himmelfarb school mourned: "With deep sorrow and fell today in battle in the Gaza Strip." Yuval is the son of our friends Oshrat and Professor Efi was severely injured during combat in the northern Gaza Strip The soldier was evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and his family has been notified who was held captive by Hamas for 505 days before being released two months ago recently opened up to the Associated Press about the harrowing ordeal Describing the conditions as “terrible,” he shared that there were moments he believed he wouldn’t survive “There were many times I said goodbye to life,” he recalled His wife and children were released in the first hostage deal his wife Adi received a chilling phone call from someone claiming to be a Hamas member warning her to remain silent about her experience or risk her husband's life Shoham claimed there are details he still won’t share to avoid endangering others still held captive was held in various locations and endured periods of starvation a Hamas militant pointed a gun at him and ordered him to kneel “I didn’t want to be murdered on their terms,” he said Shoham was later moved to another apartment where he was joined by fellow captives Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal The three shared months of captivity under dire conditions pretending to fire guns and referencing the party where they were kidnapped Shoham said he learned Arabic to improve communication with his captors and reduce his risk In return for massaging one captor’s back daily the group occasionally received better food Shoham received a letter from his wife via his captors informing him that she and the children were safe and would soon be freed was a rare act of kindness and gave him the mental strength to keep going and Gilboa-Dalal were moved to a tunnel some 30 meters underground which saw the dramatic rescue of several hostages from Nuseirat The men were disguised as Palestinians and transported in an ambulance they slept on thin mattresses near a hole used as a toilet Don’t lose hope.” He now urges the Israeli government and international community to act swiftly to free the remaining hostages “I fear they will die if they aren’t rescued soon,” he warned "\/liveblog_entry\/families-express-elation-concern-as-4-hostages-set-to-return\/?__cf_chl_rt_tk=3hHRK1nK.YuQENFFRNAqZl0fxIpRkZsdp0UiAfGD0_o-1746540252-1.0.1.1-VIhlMuM_OdHsWUweVl4R7JhQ58zSAoZvVCv0eJe1ym0" + window._cf_chl_opt.cOgUHash);cpo.onload = function() {history.replaceState(null holding up a photo of his hostage son Tal Shoham | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon Another holiday has passed, another birthday marked – and Tal is still not here. On the morning of Oct. 7, Tal Shoham, his wife Adi and their children Nave and Yahel were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Be'eri Three more of our family members were brutally murdered were held captive along with their mother and grandmother for 50 days on behalf of Nave and Yahel who for more than a year have been imagining the moment when they will once again rest their heads they experience so many disappointments and pain another season changes – and daddy is still not here Yahel heard a man's voice outside the door or more accurately – within a decision's reach from here My heart breaks anew each time and it becomes impossible to breathe seeing two children they were there – this isn't a burden children should bear members of the Knesset and government argue among themselves about their pound of flesh and how would the whole world be amazed to see if the state of Israel would again show what makes it unique – "Everyone matters and no one is left behind!" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset plenum – the urgent and important victory isn't in Lebanon and at the Hermon peak and of families asking for just one thing – to bring their loved ones back Bring all of Israel home – to a world of sanity Gilad Korngold is the father of Tal Shoham Airport interception failure exposes the price of containment policy while the test of Israel's strategy awaits in its response to.. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed frustration with President Donald Trump’s actions in the Middle East... Three military fronts and a domestic crisis are pushing Israel toward fateful decisions Between the hostages and the nuclear threat,..