Liel Hetzroni

Liel was born in the spring of 2011, together with her twin brother, Yanai. Their overjoyed mother had only a few hours to enjoy them before her medical condition took a turn for the worse. Tragically, she was not adequately treated at the time and was rendered incapable of taking care of the twins.

The Hetzroni family pooled their resources and created a new and complex family unit around the children: Ayala (Aylus) was the great-aunt who took on the role of mother; Ayala's father was both grandfather and father; the uncles and aunts were everything they could have wished for – a loving, extended family that was both supportive and enabling.

Liel grew up surrounded by love. Perhaps due to the special circumstances of her life, she was both mature for her years and also childish. She was a strong, resilient child, but she also harbored fears which she battled with bravery and honesty. Only those closest to her knew about her fears. Aylus was very close to her. They looked out for each other. Aylus protected Liel, and Liel looked out for Aylus, who suffered a cardiac arrest a few years ago. She had a special relationship with Yanai, her twin brother – love and togetherness and also arguments and reconciliations, some small, others bigger - like typical twins. Every day they went out together in Grandpa Avia’s mobility scooter, visiting Grandma Eva and Shira, their mother.

Liel also had a special connection with Eyal, her cousin. When she was little, Liel wanted to do everything that Eyal did: eat what she ate and dress like her. When she got a little older, she loved going with Eyal to the beach and eating at McDonald’s on Saturdays. When she wanted something, she knew how to persist in getting it.

Liel was part of a group known as Lilach (Lilac), which consisted of 6 boys and 12 girls. She had two nicknames – the main one was Looly, but she also shared a nickname with her twin brother: Hetzbooki and Hetzbooka, derived from their surname, Hetzroni. She did not much care for studying, but in the classroom, she had a dominant and significant presence, with incredible energy that adults sometimes had to rein in. Despite this, she was sociable and sensitive to those around her – both children and adults.

Liel blossomed outside of the classroom and school grounds, with her sensitivity and love of other children, with her creativity and the love she gave to everyone. Dror told how “Liel taught me many things”. Omri, Michal and the children came to spend Shabbat on the kibbutz, it became her excuse to squeeze from Aylus an extra day off from school so that she could spend time with Arbel and Ma’ayan. This is how she managed to get Aylus to deviate from their agreement that she would only miss school every other Friday.

Her classmates describe a lovely girl who enjoyed hanging out with her girlfriends, baking and cooking. She was goofy; she had a big, heart that was pure and innocent. She was the kind of girl who knew how to organize things and get them done, both in the classroom and outside of it. She was a drama queen, and even when she got really mad she never held a grudge and always forgave. She was a girl with a big laugh, who was forgiven for almost everything, who knew how to encourage her friends in tough moments, and to make sure her friends were happy, even when she herself did not feel good.

Liel had all kinds of dreams. She deliberated whether to become a cosmetician, singer or pastry chef. In the meanwhile, like many of her generation, she was active on Instagram and also expressed herself freely through painting, drama and art.

In grade six, Liel and her classmates began working in the petting zoo of the kibbutz. In addition, Liel began working in the local kindergarten, Gan Tamar, where she proved herself to be as mature as the grownups working there. When school broke for the summer, Liel and Yanai appeared in the end of year show, and were very excited to be part of it. They rehearsed in Sagi and Efrat Shifroni’s house, and everyone said how proud and happy they were.

This year, Liel was supposed to begin the bat-mitzvah year of her class. She was so excited by this that she had already made sure her uncles and aunts and other relatives would come on the appointed date. Sagi says that she had learned to tie a Square Knot and that she had returned home and demonstrated animatedly with her hands.

Liel was honest and straightforward about herself. On many occasions she said she wasn’t good at certain things, but she overcame this, she insisted on trying again, and was overjoyed and proud when she succeeded.

Liel will not be celebrating her bat mitzvah. Her class will no longer have 6 boys and 12 girls in it, as they did at the ceremony held at the beginning of the school year…

Liel was murdered on that Shabbat along with her brother, Yanai, and Ayala and Avia – her great-aunt and grandfather – who raised her and her Yanai.

May her memory be blessed.