Deborah (Shahar) Troen Matias, born on September 25, 1973, was born in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Beersheva. She was a talented singer and a beloved mother. She lived with her family in Kibbutz Holit. On October 7, 2023, 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 Dr. Carol, a linguist, and Prof. Ilan Troen of Brandeis University and Ben-Gurion University. She was a musician who performed with her husband and was known for her warmth, her contribution to community, and commitment to coexistence. She and Shlomi helped found the Jewish-Arab school Hagar in Beersheva. 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 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 is survived by her son Rotem, daughters Shakked and Shir, and by her parents, a sister and four brothers.
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