Staff Sergeant Yarin Marie Peled

Daughter of Tal and Nimrod
Sister of Eli and Lihi

Yarin’s Family wanted to describe her personal story as follows:
Yarin was born and raised in Kibbutz Beeri. Until she was six months old, she had spent most of her time sleeping, as if she was saving up energy to take over the world. From the age of six months onwards, she never stopped evolving, learning and teaching herself, and did not waste a single moment.
She was an exceptionally curious and inquisitive girl, who simply wanted to know everything.
She always sported a magical smile that seemed to say, “I know something you don’t.”
She was an exceptionally witty individual and could understand “adult humor” from a very young age.
Yarin was a humble girl who could never understand why she needed gifts and new clothes, and when all the other girls wore pink dresses, Yarin chose orange or green.
She engaged in sports from a very young age, beginning with gymnastics and later volleyball (near the end of her elementary school years).
She was a member of the HaPoel Eshkol Volleyball Team throughout high school (a “libero,” a key member of every team). She won the Israel Youth Championship together with her teammates.
She joined a first aid course for the first time at the age of 15, and it was love at first sight.
Yarin became deeply interested in the world of medicine and first aid since she enrolled in that course, and had a great passion for alleviating people’s pain.
Whenever she had time (both before and after she joined the Army), Yarin spend that time at the Ofakim MDA Station in long shifts, from which she would always return with a glowing face and many stories about the help she gave and about her patients.
Yarin fell in love with the world of medicine and dreamed of becoming a paramedic.
About a year before she joined the Army, she completed an instructors course and taught dozens of young adolescents about first aid.
She was an exceptionally charismatic girl, capable of enchanting both young and old people with her assertive character and smile.
The people at the station used to say that senior medics and paramedics would fight over who gets to have Yarin on their shifts. According to them, every time she was in the ambulance, they knew that patients are in great hands, despite her young age.
Yarin was always very inquisitive. She read a lot about medicine and could even cite complex cases. She could sometimes even win an argument with senior paramedics about first aid.
Yarin was an amazing sister, and was the glue that kept the entire family together.
Over the last five years, she had an amazing romantic relationship with Idan, her beloved boyfriend.
Yarin was an exceptionally good friend, and was always able to give her attention to every person, as if they were the only friend she had.”

Her family described her preparations for her enlistment, her military service and her contribution:
“Yarin joined the IDF on November 21, 2021, and served with the Medical Corps. Before her enlistment, she struggled to receive a medical role, and she completed a medics course. After she completed the course, she realized that she wanted to serve near her home, Kibbutz Beeri (Gaza Envelope), an area known for its volatility. Yarin‘s service was highly successful, and she felt that her team is part of her family. Her skills and aptitude stood out immediately, and she was entrusted with overseeing an security incident a relatively short time after the beginning of her service.
Near the end of her service, she already began to prepare for nursing and paramedic studies at Ben-Gurion University. The Division’s Chief Medical Officer asked her to stay for a few more months and serve as his assistant. After considering the matter at length, she decided to accept that offer.”

Yarin was on her base at Nachal Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023. She had spoken with her family while she was inside the shelter with the other soldiers. Her family gained the impression that she was not scared, even though she understood that what was happening on the base was exceptional. It appears that her exposure to security threats in the Gaza Envelope region during her childhood had prepared her for such emergencies.
That Saturday morning, Yarin fell in battle fighting against those terrorists.
After her death, they found a farewell letter in her pocket, in which she requested – in the event of her death – that MDA volunteers attend her funeral. MDA accommodated her last wishes and broadcast her funeral for her volunteer friends who were unable to attend. A video of the funeral is available at:
https://www.mdais.org/news/yarinpeled

Yarin’s family described her personality as follows:
“Throughout her brief life, Yarin was known for her perpetual smile, her quiet composure and her never-ending joy.” She always knew how to make everyone laugh, but could always be serious when she had to be. Yarin lived life to the fullest, as if she knew that her time on this earth would be brief. Yarin will be remembered as a wonderful daughter, sister, romantic partner and friend, who always spread joy, strength, light and love to everyone around her.”

The Beeri Daily Newspaper published an article in Yarin’s memory [Issue No. 19784 of October 22, 2023]. The investigative work was completed by Ilia Yaakov, and the article was written by Tehila Khakimi and Tomer Haruv. The article can be found here.
“Yarin Marie Peled
Born April 8, 2003; killed in action on October 7, 2023.
Yarin Marie Peled was born in Kibbutz Beeri to Nimrod and Tal in April 2003. She was the sister of Eli Shitrit and Lihi Peled. Nimrod, Yarin’s father, is a medical administrator and her mother, Tal, runs the Quality Assurance Department at Beeri Printers. Her parents met in 2001, got married and had two girls together: Yarin and Lihi, both of whom are the sisters of Eli, Tal’s son from a previous marriage. Yarin used to call her mother “Imiyahu” and everyone in the family called Yarin “Nini,” a nickname she kept until her last day. She loved to play recordings of her father calling her that on the phone, so that her army buddies could hear him using that nickname. “She had big blue eyes, a quiet demeanor, and a smile that says everything,” her mother says. The three sisters were very close friends, and Yarin was regarded as the glue that kept the family together. She was always in the middle, keeping everyone together. She was an angel who always kept us united. Yarin had been in a romantic relationship with Idan Kishinevsky since she was 15.
Young Yarin distinguished herself by her sharp wit and sense of humor. When all the girls wanted to buy pink clothes, Yarin chose green and orange shirts. She could understand sarcasm from a very young age, and she was an outstanding athlete. She pursued gymnastics until she was in the sixth grade, and began to play volleyball in junior high, and continued until she graduated from high school. She and her sister Lihi played on the school team and led it to win the national championship. It was thanks to volleyball that she met her boyfriend, Idan. Her sister, Eli, says that he threw a ball at her on the day they first met. The two later found that they shared a passion for medicine, and when Yarin attended exams in order to volunteer for MDA, Idan had given her his notes. They continued to talk to each other, and never stopped since.
Yarin was drawn to the world of medicine from a very young age. When her younger sister was seven, she experienced a severe epileptic seizure in her sleep. Yarin was with her and called her parents. Since that night, she developed a passion for helping and treating people, and she wanted to know what she could do in times of emergency.
She began volunteering at the MDA Station in Ofakim, a pursuit that eventually encompassed most of her free time. She loved the adrenaline rush of administering first aid. She dreamed of becoming a paramedic. She fought hard to be given a spot in a medics course and insisted on serving in the Gaza Envelope Sector, despite the dangers it involved, and she joined the Intensive Care Unit at Nachal Oz Outpost. She saw it as her mission: she wanted to protect her home and take care of Beeri’s residents. She was absolutely devoted to this mission: when she came home on Thursdays, she would immediately start a a shift.
She excelled both as an MDA volunteer and as a soldier. The Division’s Chief Medical Officer asked her to join the IDF’s Standing Army and become his assistant. She had already started studying for her psychometric exams, and had intended to enroll in the Nursing and Paramedics Program of Ben-Gurion University, but she was eventually convinced to sign the papers and stay in the army. Her sister, Eli, said the following: “Your post was your calling. They struggled to keep you in the Army and would not let go.
Yarin and her boyfriend, Idan, were going to move in together. She, Idan Ben and Shav Ein HaBasor openly competed with each other: they each wanted to know the most, to administer the best treatment, and to handle the toughest cases. The relationship between the two was mature and intimate. They both found the love of their lives. They already began to plan their future lives together, and everybody knew that they would eventually marry. “We grew up together,” Idan says, and notes that Yarin always had a smile on her face, and was always willing to help everyone around her. They had been together for five years, and Idan says that “she would always be there for me, at any time.” She was an amazing listener and there was no one at the station who didn’t adore her. She always wanted to take as many shifts as possible, even when she had no time. She was perfect. There’s no other way to describe her.”
Nevo was her best friend from Beeri, but she was always been surrounded by friends who had her full attention. Her friends from the army say that she was the “social heart” of the base. She would sing at the top of her voice and play backgammon, cook and teach others how to cook, and made everyone laugh their hearts out. Shai, one of her friends, said, “I knew that as long as you’re with me, I wouldn’t be scared of anything.” Another friend of hers, Lia Ifergan, added: “It’s impossible not to be your friend.”
On the morning of October 7, Yarin woke up at Nachal Oz Outpost to the sound of sirens and explosions.” She ran to the outdoor shelter with the other girls, and had the chance to talk to her mother on the phone. A grenade was thrown into the shelter, at which point Yarin and her friend, Shir Biton, turned back and hid inside the barracks. They then encountered a terrorist, which they managed to neutralize. However, upon entering the room, another terrorist surprised them from the window and killed them both.
Yarin will be remembered by her family, friends and acquaintances as a lovely and kind soul. She was the sweet shopkeeper who was loved by the entire Kibbutz, the decorated MDA volunteer, and the volleyball player that woulnd’t stop fighting until she won. A daughter, a sister, a partner, and friend who spread sstrength, light, and joy wherever she went. We carry her heart. We will carry her heart in ours forever.
May her memory be a blessing.”

MDA Director Eli Bin gave the following eulogy: “Yarin, may she rest in peace, was an active volunteer who wanted to continue volunteering for MDA after her military service. Her loss will affect us all. Magen David Adom extends its deepest sympathies to the family. May her memory be a blessing.” Link

Inbal Gorodenchik, a fellow volleyball team member, said the following in an interview on November 4, 2023 (with the “October 7 Commemoration Site”):
“Yarin was everything. She was the girl you can’t take your eyes off of, the girl everyone wanted to be close to because she made you feel like you belong. The girl who will bend over backwards to achieve her goals. She always spoke her mind, and everyone listened. She was a leader. She always stayed true to herself and spoke straight. I absolutely loved our rides with you and the team. You sang and I listened. You were the coolest and sassiest. You always knew how to bring people together. It was like magic. You could turn every frown upside down with your silly laugh and with your serious talks. We laughed so much together. You could sometimes make us laugh throughout practice, and I would get angry at you for distracting everyone, but deep inside I wanted to laugh so hard. You were our big sister, even though there was no distance between us, and you instilled confidence in all of us.
How can I say goodbye to you? You’re the best. You were simply perfect. A once-in-a-life-time soul.” The interview

Ravid Plotnik wrote and composed a song in Yarin’s memory together with Yaya Cohen Aharonov. The song is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14OJh9Xu_xk