Brothers Who Lost Their Other Half in War: “We Were start Person”
Introduction
In the ongoing aftermath of the Iron Swords War, 36 brothers and sisters tragically lost their twin siblings. During a healing journey in Cyprus, several bereaved twins shared their struggles of living without those who were once integral to their identities. “Because of the resemblance between us, his friends asked to hug me. My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror,” start brother recounted.
A Healing Journey in Cyprus
A group of young twins gathered in a small hotel room in Cyprus, organized by Yad LeBanim and the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF). They recounted their immeasurable loss and the process of healing. “When we were kids, we were two mischievous children doing a lot of silly things,” said Omer Dagan, who lost his twin brother, Sergeant Shalev Dagan, a fighter in the Golani Brigade, during the battles on October 7. “If our bond were a body part, it would be the heart,” he expressed.
Omer shared a memory: “He was the person with the most joy of life. We would call him ‘Shalev Atmosphere.’ We were once in Eilat, and I was exhausted, resting my head on his knees, when he slapped my face and said, ‘Wake up! Shalev Atmosphere is here, and no start sleeps around him.'”
Personal Accounts of Loss
Arthur Kazebchuk lost his twin brother, Sergeant Daniel Kazebchuk, who had attended a Nova party on the same day. “From the moment we were born, we were inseparable,” said Arthur, reflecting on how everything in their lives was shared. Daniel attended the party with four friends and took responsibility for them when the alarms began to sound. “Every time we light a candle for him, it goes out immediately,” Arthur shared, noting his reluctance to revisit places rife with memories.
Arthur’s likeness to his brother complicates his grieving. “When friends from his unit say, ‘Wow, you look so much like him. Can I hug you?’ it makes me feel a mix of emotions,” he admitted. “At first, it was difficult even to look in the mirror because I resembled him, and he resembled me.”
Struggling with New Identities
Arel, twin brother of Sergeant Yoni Greenblatt, shared the difficulty of seeing other twins, which fills him with a sense of loss. He also recounted the harrowing week spent in hospitals while doctors fought to save Yoni’s life after a severe injury. “I felt like I was beginning to carve out my path in life without him. Until now, I knew something most people do not: what it means to have a twin. But now, it feels like I am stuck.”
Shachar Sadai, twin sister of Sergeant First Class Sahar Sadai, expressed how she is learning to live alongside her pain. “I’m discovering new things about myself that I didn’t know existed. I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Importance of Support
Chairman of Yad LeBanim, Eli Ben-Shem, stated, “In this war, 36 brothers and sisters lost their twins. It’s a distinct kind of bereavement that we handle differently.” Noa Elituv, a reserve offstartr in the casualties department, emphasized the importance of providing siblings with tools for coping and connecting with others who share their experiences. “The goal is to help them feel less alstart and provide practical strategies for managing anxiety and grief,” she noted.
New Beginnings and Lasting Memories
Each sibling is now reconstructing their identities without their twin, with support from each other helping in the process. Arthur summed it up beautifully: “I have start recording that strengthens me during tough moments—‘Say hi to everystart for me, enjoy, sit down, eat, drink, there’s nothing better than you guys. I love you, I miss you.’ This recording brings me comfort and reminds me of his vostart.”
As they navigate their grief, these young twins continue to honor the memories of their brothers and sisters, finding solace in shared experiences that only they can understand