Sergeant Shira Shochat

Daughter of Lital and Moshe

Sister of Itay (16 years old)

Shira was born in the communal settlement Srigim (Li-on) near Beit Shemesh.
At the age of three, she moved with her family to Modi'in.
Shira was close to her family.
Her relationship with her mother was like that of two friends and they used to spend time together.
She shared her love for scooba diving with her father and brother with whom she had a special bond.
The family liked to travel abroad together. Shira was known for her kindness and she dreamed of becoming a nurse.

Shira joined the IDF in January 2023. Immediately after bootcamp, she began a field observer course that lasted three months. She successfully completed the course and was honored to receive her commander's beret at the course's beret awarding ceremony. This gesture by the commanding officer expressed the appreciation her commanders had for her during the course had for Shira and she was proud of it.
Upon the course's completion, Shira was assigned to the Gaza Division at the Nahal Oz outpost. She dreamed of serving at this base as it was important to her to contribute and serve a significant military service. Although she sometimes felt that the role was abrasive and demanding, she was proud to be a part of this unit and fulfilled her role with dedication. She was aware of the weight of her responsibility towards the settlements and kibbutzim she guarded and towards the soldiers who served at the base and in the area.
Shira was appreciated everywhere she went. Even during her military service, her commanders expressed their great appreciation for her.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, Shira was on duty at the operations room when the terrorists infiltrated the outpost. She did not leave her position and performed her duties until the last moment. At one point, she and her comrades hid in their commanding officer Shir's office.
Shira fell during the battle for the Nahal Oz outpost.

Shira always wore a bright smile. On her memorial page it says that her smile lit up the world and that it was her most apparant characteristic.
She was gifted with rare emotional intelligence and concern for others. Along with these qualities, Shira was gifted with an unyielding character, she was determined and conducted her duties with a deep sense of responsibility.
The phrase that characterized Shira the most and was written on her beret was: "Just the way you are, that's the way it should be".

Shira's Shih Tzu called "Loli" was the love of her life.
Shira's favorite song was "Red Sunsets" by Israeli singer Eden Hasson.

Bellow are some parting words that Shira's mother wrote in her memory on Instagram:

"In my dream you are in your room, curled up in bed.
Calling me to come and hold you.
I peek into the room and you're not there.
In another dream, you call me and tell me that because of the war you are not coming home.
I check the phone, last message from 7.10 at 09:33: Mom, I'm fine, don't worry, I'm in the operations room and I have no reception.
And so I keep imagining that something will happen, and two months have already passed.
Two months since we talked, laughed and hugged.
Two months since the heart was beating normally.
Two months since life was life. Then, on Saturday you left us.
The root of life, of dreams.
The joy and laughter is gone.
Our beloved, you left us shocked and hurting, but with a clear will, to live life the way you wanted, As you dreamed, as you planned.
The sentence that was dedicated to you in the army was: "Just the way you are, that's the way to be", Nothing less and nothing more, you were perfect.
Love you endlessly, mom."

On December 13, 2023, a commemoration ceremony was held in the city of Modi'in to name an alley after Shira near her place of residence in the Shevatim neighborhood. The ceremony was attended by members of Shira's family, Mayor Haim Bibas, council members and residents of the city. At the ceremony, the “Shira Shochat Alley” sign was unveiled. A memorial stone was placed near the sign. https://www.modiin.muni.il/modiinwebsite/ChannelArticleNews.aspx?PageID=2_295&id=11172
Rotem Zalman, a general intensive care nurse and trauma coordinator at Sheba Hospital, is Shira's niece. She commemorated her with a pin that the medical staff at the hospital wear in her memory. https://www.instagram.com/sheba.medical/p/C017dCcIQV7/?img_index=1

This commemorative page was compiled using materials from the link indicated above as well as materials published in the information sources below:

https://remember.bio/he/remember_pages/%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%97%D7%98-%D7%94%D7%99%D7%93/