Remember Shay, carry the light forward
As we look back on the memorial marking two years since Shay’s fall, the heart remains full of emotion, pain, and above all, a very powerful sense of presence. The presence of someone who is no longer here, yet continues to be here in so many ways.
The ceremony was deeply moving and truly special. It held moments of pain, love, remembrance, and connection. The words that were spoken, the songs, the gestures, the eulogies, and also the moving video that was shown, in which Shir’s voice was heard, together created an occasion that felt both deeply personal and greater than the moment itself. It was a moment in which it was once again felt how much Shay continues to connect hearts, worlds, and people.
One of the things that touched us most deeply was the diversity of people who were present at the ceremony. Family members, friends, אנשי חינוך, sports figures, people from many different circles in Shay’s life, and also people who only met the family after his fall, but over time became part of the journey. There was something profoundly moving in that. Not only those who knew Shay personally carry him in their hearts, but also those who encountered the light, values, and love he left behind.
Alongside those who came in person, there were also those who expressed their participation in other ways, through flower wreaths, meaningful items, gestures, and genuine thoughtfulness. All of these meant a great deal to us. Each such gesture said, in its own way: Shay is not forgotten.
Within all of this, there was also a particularly moving connection to Maccabi Netanya. It was not only the presence of a color or a symbol, but a gesture with soul. A special place is reserved for Mota’le Shpiegler, who in my eyes is the greatest footballer Israel has ever had, and the only one to score a World Cup goal for the Israeli national team. The day before, he traveled to Maccabi Netanya’s training ground to collect club items, and brought them early on the morning of the memorial. Some acts are measured not only by what is seen outwardly, but by the heart placed within them. It was a moving, sensitive, and generous gesture, and we are deeply grateful for it.
The words spoken during the ceremony also gave language to what is almost impossible to hold. In Orli’s letter came the longing that does not learn time, the inner refusal to accept the absence, and the way Shay continues to remain present through his light, his laughter, his eyes that knew how to truly see people, and his rare ability to give confidence, love, and goodness. In the poem “You Didn’t Have Enough Time,” the pain of all that was cut short too soon came through powerfully, but so did the recognition that Shay had already become a compass for others and had lit a light that will not go out. In Yaron’s letter, Shay’s deep impact was strongly felt, as a friend, as a person who truly knew how to see others, to listen, to offer heartfelt advice, and to leave a living mark on the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know him. And in the filmed eulogy by Shir, which was shown during the ceremony, there was also a particularly moving moment that added a deep layer of love, longing, and very strong family presence to the entire occasion.
Perhaps that was what was felt most of all at this ceremony. Alongside the mourning, alongside the longing, alongside all that did not have enough time, there was also a powerful sense of the mark Shay left behind. There was a recognition that the world lost so much when Shay fell, but also the knowledge that he still managed to leave something rare within it. A way of being, values, sensitivity, humility, generosity, the ability to truly see others, and the ability to bring light.
The photos, videos, and excerpts from the eulogies accompanying this post reflect only a small part of the emotion, depth, and meaning that were present in that moment. But perhaps even they are enough to feel once again how deeply Shay continues to be present, and how his light continues to touch people.
And from within this memory, and from the desire for his light to keep working in the world, further steps are also continuing to take shape. Among them are the development of the website, and the “In Shay’s Light” initiative now being formed at Na’amat High School, with the support of the Shikma Program and in partnership with The Hive, The Joint, the National Insurance Funds, the New York Federation, marketeam.ai, and the Next-October initiative.
Thank you to everyone who took part.
To those who came, to those who sent, to those who acted, to those who embraced, to those who remembered, and to those who continue to walk this path with us. And special thanks to our “home” photographer, Guy Hamui.
Shay’s light continues to shine.
And if you would like to stay updated on WhatsApp about commemorative activities in Shay’s light, please join through this link.
