An Israeli-Canadian sacrificed his life to save his fianc茅e during an attack by Hamas militants, his family confirmed to CTVNews.ca.
Netta Epstein, a 21-year-old Israeli with Canadian citizenship, died when he jumped on a grenade in southern Israel on Saturday Oct. 7.
His family told CTVNews.ca that Epstein and his fianc茅e, Irene Shavit, had been taking cover in his apartment鈥檚 safe house.
Epstein's mother said she received a text message from her son about what was going on.
鈥淚 hear shouts in Arabic. There鈥檚 a lot of noise around. There鈥檚 shooting,鈥 his mother, Ayelet Shachar-Epstein, said her son wrote to her.
鈥淭he next thing he wrote was, 鈥楾hey鈥檙e here, Mom.鈥欌
A series of attacks began at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7. Sirens warned Israelis throughout the country of incoming rockets launched from Gaza in a co-ordinated effort by Hamas, a group which the Canadian government has classified as a terrorist organization for decades.
To residents of Kfar Aza Kibbutz, a farming community of about 750 people located between Netivot and Sderot in southern Israel, the threat of rockets was nothing out of the ordinary.
鈥淲e know the drill very well,鈥 Shachar-Epstein, whose parents were originally from Montreal but who grew up in Israel, told CTVNews.ca over the phone.
Unaware that armed Hamas militants had stormed through blockaded areas of the Gaza Strip and were about to kill what the Israeli government estimates as more than a thousand Israeli civilians, Shachar-Epstein left her home to check on her mother-in-law, who she found dead at the entrance of her home, she said.
As Shachar-Epstein took cover in a safe room with her father-in-law, and the rest of her family hid throughout the kibbutz, she corresponded with loved ones through a texting app, knowing that cut electricity meant communication was limited by battery life, she said.
Through messages with Shavit, she said, she learned that Hamas attackers 鈥渂urst into their room and threw grenades into the apartment.鈥
Shachar-Epstein said she was told that after attackers opened fire, and a third grenade landed close to Shavit, 鈥淣etta jumped onto the grenade, like he was trained (to do) in the army.鈥
His body blocked the explosion, his mother said, sacrificing his life, but saving Shavit鈥檚.
Epstein鈥檚 fianc茅e hid in the ravaged safe room until Israeli soldiers saved her later that day, his family told 麻豆影视.
鈥淗e had a huge heart, my son,鈥 Shachar-Epstein said. 鈥淗e was beautiful on the outside but also the inside.鈥
Shachar-Epstein said she remembers watching the televised terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, while she was pregnant with him.
鈥淚 remember lying down on the sofa watching horrific terror taking place in New York and thinking to myself, 鈥業 truthfully hope that we won鈥檛 be facing anything like that when my child comes to the world.鈥欌
From the moment her son was born, she said, 鈥渉e brought so much happiness and hope to our lives. He was my firstborn child but also the first grandson in our family so double happiness.鈥
Shachar-Epstein said her son loved soccer from a young age.
鈥淗e was a terrific soccer player. He was a goalie. He really did very well in that.鈥
Growing up, Epstein was outgoing, silly and kind, according to those who knew him.
鈥淗e was the kindest, smartest person I鈥檝e ever met,鈥 said his childhood friend Jake Niefeld, who went to summer camp with Epstein in their teenage years.
鈥淗e was able to go one second to being the silliest person in the world and having the biggest smile on his face to, five minutes later, being able to be there for people. He was amazing," Niefeld told 麻豆影视 following news of Epstein's death.
Shachar-Epstein said her son volunteered for youth with special needs when he finished high school.
鈥淗e really found himself there. It wasn鈥檛 an easy task at all,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e needed to really collect himself and be very strong to do what he did there. He was there for them. He had fun with them. He played soccer with them. He would read them bedtime stories. They loved him dearly.鈥
After Epstein completed his mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Forces, Shachar-Epstein said, she remembers feeling relieved.
鈥淥nce he got out of the army鈥e took a deep breath and said, 鈥楾hank God, now he鈥檚 with us. He鈥檚 back at home and he鈥檚 safe.鈥 That鈥檚鈥 don鈥檛 know how to say it... God laughed in our faces, I guess.鈥
Shachar-Epstein says her son met his fianc茅e, Shavit, 18 months ago.
鈥淎lthough they鈥檙e both very young, they became a very serious couple,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey were talking about getting married, having children, building their home. In many situations, I would say, 鈥楬ang on, Netta. It鈥檚 just the beginning of your life, there鈥檚 so many things you鈥檙e going to experience. You don鈥檛 need to obligate yourself so quickly.' But he kept on saying, 鈥楳ommy, I love her so much. This is the woman of my life.鈥欌
She added, 鈥淲e love her dearly. She鈥檚 an amazing woman. We were very happy with them being together.鈥
Shachar-Epstein also mentioned a trek her son and daughter, Rona, did in France recently: 鈥淭hey did eight days of hiking in Mont Blanc this September.鈥
After the two siblings completed their hike, Shachar-Epstein, her husband, Ori, and their youngest daughter, Alma, met them in Geneva, Switzerland.
鈥淭he five of us celebrated five lovely, lovely days as a family, which we think today was our present, maybe his farewell present to us,鈥 she said.
Shachar-Epstein said she recalls so many 鈥渂eautiful moments鈥 on that trip, which she said was full of jokes, songs and 鈥減recious moments鈥 she will carry with her forever.
Epstein was among more than 50 other residents of the kibbutz whose bodies are still being identified.
Shachar-Epstein told CTVNews.ca that her nephew, who lived near her son, has been missing since the attacks.
In the days since the Hamas attack, more than 2,800 people have been killed on both sides of the Gaza border, according to estimates from officials in the area.
For Shachar-Epstein, some relief can be found in memories.
鈥淭elling his story is a bit like having him back,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 therapy. I really think it is.鈥
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