Deborah (Shahar) Matias, age fifty, was an American-Israeli citizen, a talented singer, and a beloved mother. She lived with her family in Kibbutz Holit. On October seventh, two thousand twenty-three, Deborah was murdered alongside her husband, Shlomi, as they shielded their sixteen-year-old son Rotem with their bodies during the Hamas massacre.
Deborah was the daughter of Professor Ilan Troen of Brandeis University. She dedicated her life to music and was known for her warmth, her voice, and her commitment to coexistence. Her family shared that she had called them as the terror attack began, trying to lock the doors of their home and the safe room, even as they heard gunfire and shouting in Arabic nearby.
After their deaths, their son Rotem survived the massacre and later spoke of his parents’ heroism, saying they had sacrificed their lives to save him. Despite being wounded, Rotem managed to hide for hours under his parents’ bodies, then under a bed and later in the laundry room, until rescuers arrived. Deborah’s murder is one of countless stories of cruelty and bravery from that tragic day.
Deborah is survived by her children Rotem, Shaked, and Shir, and by her parents and extended family.
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