Corporal Shirat Yam Amar

Daughter of Keren Or and Moshe - Eliyahu
Sister of Yonatan and Ben

Shirat Yam was born in Kfar Maas, where she spent her early childhood. Her parents described her magical childhood: she often played in the fields and orchards, inside the wooden house in the yard, and rode horses on the family’s farm. After the family moved to Kiryat Ono, Shirat Yam continued to visit the family’s farm in Kfar Maas, and she always enjoyed her time in rural settings and in nature.
Shirat Yam’s family and friends used to call her “Yami,” and this name stuck in her older years and military service.
Shirat Yam attended school in Kiryat Ono. She graduated from Jacob Cohen Elementary School (HaPisga) and the Shazar Junior High and High School.
Shirat Yam was ambitious and independent. She was a highly successful student who managed to combine scholastic success with her work as a Girl Scouts instructor.
She had big dreams, and she was determined to make them come true. For that purpose, she wrote a list of dreams and even managed to fulfill some of them. She skydived, scuba dived and went on a short trip abroad on her own. Her parents are certain that she would make all of her dreams come true if she were still with us.

Shirat Yam joined the IDF on July 30, 2023 (surveillance course). She found the course to be an enjoyable and significant experience, of which she was very proud. She quickly became closer with her coursemates and commanders, who slated her to become a commander and officer Military service.

Shirat Yam Was assigned a surveillance post after her training at Nachal Oz Outpost, at which she had arrived only two days before the terrorist attack on October 7. She died on that Saturday morning inside the Base’s shelter.

Shirat Yam’s greatest hobby was fashion design. She eventually conceptualized and adopted her own unique style. She designed dresses, sewed clothes, and mended them using the sewing machine that she had received as a gift from her aunt about two years before her death. She learned how to use that machine all by herself, and she dreamed of further enhancing her skills so as to eventually become a fashion designer.

Shirat Yam’s family described her personality as follows:
“Shirat Yam was always full of life and joy, and always had a beautiful smile on her face.” Yami always knew how to live life to the fullest, and to turn every situation into a celebration. Throughout her life, she always spread light and love, and she drew everyone’s attention as soon as she walked in the room. Yam always told herself, “You’re not alone; you got you!” She believed that happiness depended on her and her alone, and every challenge she faced only taught her how powerful and strong she really was. She always lent an ear to her friends and knew how to say the right thing. She was a supportive and caring daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend. She always cared for the people around her and made sure that they felt comfortable. She was never judgmental.”

An Instagram page was created In Shirat Yam’s memory.
followed by an “In Memoriam” page on the MEMORIZ+ Website

Moshiko spoke about Shirat Yam during an interview with Keren Neubach on January 15, 2024. The interview is available here.

ONE published an annoucement issued by Kiryat Ono Municipality (October 12, 2023) following Shirat Yam’s death. The announcement reads as follows: “We wish to express our deepest sorrow upon the death of Pvt. Shirat Yam Amar, who died in battle at the age of 18.” Shirat Yam, the daughter of Moshe and Keren, and sister of Yonatan and Lavan, a graduate of Ben Zvi High School, who had only recently completed her Surveillance Analysis course and been posted to Nachal Oz Base, where she died in battle. Shirat Yam had hoped to celebrate her 19th birthday, but she never got to do that.”

Shirat Yam is commemorated on the “In Memoriam” page of the Girl Scouts’ website. She was part of the Girl Scouts’ “On Tribe.”

The Ben Zvi High School in Kiryat Ono hosted a race in memory of fallen soldiers who lived in the city and who attended the school. Shirat Yam was also commemorated in this race.

Shirat Yam’s brothers play soccer with the Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Ono Soccer Club. Yonatan is a graduate of the Youth Department, and plays on the Children Team. At a soccer match in which he participated on December 16, 2023, Ben dedicated a goal he scored to his sister, Shirat Yam.

A poem written by Shirat Yam’s father, Moshe, was published on social media after her death. The poem reads as follows:
“An idea without a home
The king without a throne
A letter without shape
A story without a book

A spirit with no command
A sky without light
A stream without courage

A dress without a bride
Paint without a brush
A flame without fire

A tree without apples
No flowers underneath.
Fields without horses

A song without words
A melody with no notes
A violin with no strings

Tears without eyes
A road with no legs
A butterfly without wings

Moshe without Shirat Yam
A love without life.”
facebook link.

Idan Dabi wrote and composed a song in memory of Shirat Yam titled “The Heart Always Triumphs.” He dedicated that song to Shirat Yam’s memory and to her family. The song is available here.

“Like the ocean
you brought us peace
moments of love
We’ll always remember your beauty and laughter

Your incredible heart
We will never stop singing about you
You were a child of freedom and open fields
You protected us, all alone

And there’s no one else like you who could tear up the skies
This is not the time for empty words.
This is not the time to give up.
We will follow you blindly.
The good will prevail.
We’ll remember the children
We will find joy after all

The heart will ultimately triumph.
Things will change
We will find joy here once again
A beautiful day is coming
as beautiful as the song of the sea
You will forever
Shine in our skies
Sweet child
You’ll stay
close to us forever

What do you see over there?
I bet you’re smiling now.
Sitting on your throne
Playing tag with the angels

And there’s no one else
like you, Yam
You’re an entire nation’s hero
I can’t hold back the tears
frozen tears of war
I promise we’ll win at the end
We will fight until the last second
We will find joy again.
The heart goes to war.

The heart will ultimately triumph.
Things will change
We will find joy here once again
A beautiful day is coming
as beautiful as the song of the sea
You will forever
Shine for us in the sky,
you’ll always be near

The One who blessed our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
he will bless our soldiers
and security forces
who protect our land
and the cities of our God

and just like the song of the sea
you’ll shine for us in the sky,
Because you’ll always be near
Because you’ll stay
our sweet child.”