During the 18 frantic days between the kidnapping of Gil-ad Shaer, Naftali Frankel and Eyal Yifrach, HY”D, on June 12, 2014, and the discovery of their remains on June 30, a phenomenon occurred in the Israeli and international Jewish communities. A sense of unity like none before brought the nation and the world together in prayer for the three boys.
“During those 18 days of worrying and not knowing what had happened to the kidnapped boys, we experienced unprecedented unity around the world. This was absolute proof of the strong feelings of mutual responsibility and the global connection felt throughout the world. Our goal since those trying times is to encourage and leverage this connection and strength.” Thus “Sonshine” was founded by Bat Galim and Ofir Shaer, parents of Gil-ad.
Bat Galim Shaer, 49, is an educator and social activist. Residing in Neve Talmon with husband Ofir and five daughters, Bat Galim has served as the CEO of Sonshine since its founding. Professionally, she has been an educator for over 20 years with a bachelor of arts in history and political science and a master’s in educational administration. Recently, she was nominated as the chairman of the Zionist Archives. She lectures widely in Israel and worldwide to promote dialogue and projects to foster Jewish unity. She is joined in this mission by Ofir, 50, an attorney and tax specialist.
Sonshine has initiated and promoted many creative projects promoting unity in memory of Gil-ad over the past seven years. The activities of the Shaer, Frankel and Yifrach families have been noted and honored by the highest echelons of Israeli government. In 2019, at the gala Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration on Har Herzl, the three mothers were honored with lighting a torch.
The latest Sonshine project was launched on January 3, 2021, to coincide with the 19th of Tevet, the date of Gil-ad’s birthday. He would have been 23. The initiative, “Happy Birthday 2 You,” aims to foster friendships and strengthen connections between Jews living in Israel and the Diaspora. The concept was suggested as one of many through a countrywide competition. The winner was determined by a combination of online voters and a panel of noted Israeli personalities including former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaket and former Executive Director of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky, as well as Kfir Damari, co-founder of SpaceIL.
The idea behind the Happy Birthday 2 You initiative is that individuals throughout the Jewish world who share a Hebrew birthday connect with each other in conversation and eventually through in-person meetings, to forge long-lasting friendships. The project is managed through a multilingual website that enables participants, 16 years and older, to register and discover who shares their Hebrew birthdate. In the short period since its launch, the initiative has attracted more than 14,000 excited participants.
“The COVID crisis of the past year intensified the distance between us and highlighted the importance of the sense of togetherness of Jews throughout the world,” Bat Galim said. “The closeness, connection and care that my family experienced, which was characterized by times of trouble and pain, must be ‘replicated’ and applied not only to happy days but incorporated into our daily routine. We are deeply honored to be joined in this new initiative by President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog, Natan Sharansky, singer Avraham Fried, and actresses Noa Tishby and Moran Atias among many others.”
“When you meet someone who was born on your birthday, it creates a connection and an immediate sense of closeness,” Ofir said of the new initiative. “Hence the idea of using birthdays for starting a positive relationship. This is the broadest and most basic common denominator for all Jews—those who see their Jewish identity as a key element and those who do not.”
Over the past seven years, many yearly initiatives were carried out in memory of the three boys. “Jewish Unity Day” is marked annually by the presentation of the Jewish Unity Prize, a joint project of the three families along with the mayor of Jerusalem. This award honors individuals and organizations that have made major contributions to fostering Jewish unity in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. It is held annually at the residence of the president and is marked throughout the Jewish world with a specialized curriculum, discussion groups and activities
“Connection: The Jewish Connection” brings together students from religious and non-religious schools in the mitzvah of mishloach manot on Purim. Students prepare thousands of baskets and distribute them within Israel as well as at Ben Gurion Airport prior to Purim, where they will be flown and distributed across the world.
Over the course of the past seven years, the legacy of Gil-ad has also been perpetuated in many meaningful and heartfelt ways. During the search for the boys, songs were composed that are still sung in their memories. One such song, “Ptach Libcha,” was sung by top artists including Avraham Fried, Ishay Ribo, Yonatan Razel and David Broza, and accompanied by the boys’ choir of Yeshivat Mekor Chaim where Gil-ad and Naftali were students. A new synagogue in Neve Talmon bearing the name Shirat Gil-ad is nearing completion. As a center for tefillah and song, and a place of gathering for family smachot, it will serve as a fitting memorial to the “song” that Gil-ad embodied to his family, friends and community.
“Tayelet Habanim,” the Promenade of the Boys, located along the road that connects Alon Shvut to Rosh Tzurim, offers a breathtaking view of the mountains of Judea. Local artist Rachel Ben Asher created a mosaic along the promenade that tells the unique story of each of the boys. An audio of the parents’ individual messages can be activated alongside the mosaic.The Gil-ad branch of Bnei Akiva was established in Ofarim, the yishuv where Gil-ad served as a madrich and a role model of commitment and sincerity. Finally, to date there have been more than 25 baby boys and girls named in memory of Gil-ad throughout Israel. They will no doubt grow up treasuring the honor of being named for such a precious son of Israel.
The Shaers encourage Jews throughout the world to honor the memory of their beloved son Gil-ad through forging meaningful connections with their fellow Jews on the occasion of their mutual Hebrew birthdays. The Happy Birthday 2 You initiative is being carried out by a team of professionals, is carefully monitored, and implements the highest standards in protecting privacy and information security.
To learn more about all of the ongoing projects of Sonshine visit their website at http://sonshine.org.il
To register for the recently launched Happy Birthday 2 You initiative go to http://mazeltov.world/en or contact Michal Slawny Cababia at 972-52-7275734 or email [email protected].
By Pearl Markovitz
