Former Hostage Eli Sharabi, Actress Shani Cohen to Host Third Grassroots National October 7 Memorial Ceremony

Organizers announced Sunday, August 30, 2026 that former hostage Eli Sharabi and Israeli actress Shani Cohen will host the third annual grassroots national October 7 memorial ceremony at Yarkon Park (Park HaYarkon) in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 — the third anniversary of the attack. Sharabi, held hostage in Gaza for 491 days, lost his wife Lianne and daughters Noya and Yahel in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri; his brother Yossi was also murdered. The ceremony, organized by the grassroots movement Kumu, began in 2024 after bereaved families declined to participate in a government-run state memorial, citing dissatisfaction with the official handling of the war, and will again be the only nationally broadcast Oct. 7 memorial event in the absence of a state ceremony. Sharabi said 'October 7 must remain engraved in our hearts as an iron date forever. It must not be blurred.' Cohen said she was 'proud to lead the ceremony alongside a person who chose life despite everything he has been through.' Organizer Omri Shafroni, who lost four family members at Kibbutz Be'eri, called the pair 'the most suitable to lead this story.' The ceremony will be broadcast by Israel's major media outlets and internationally, with community screenings planned worldwide.