Shahar Ben Naim, 42: Nature lover ran a therapeutic horse ranch

Shahar Ben Naim, 42, from Tzur Moshe, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7.

He attended the rave with a group of friends, including Lior Asulin, Hanan Yablonka, Marsdas Oria Amar and Hila Keylin, to celebrate Lior’s birthday.

With the start of the rocket fire, they decided to leave via car. Along the way they were ambushed by Hamas gunmen and Hanan was shot and kidnapped. In May 2024, Hanan’s body was recovered by the IDF from Gaza and he was determined to have been killed on October 7.

Shahar called Magen David Adom and said his friends had been shot and they told him how to tie a tourniquet, according to Lior’s mother, who told Ynet that she had received a recording of the phone call. They decided to flee the car and try and hide from the gunfire, and Shahar, Lior, Marsdas and Hila were all murdered.

Shahar was buried in Tzur Moshe on October 12. He is survived by his three children — the youngest of whom was born after he was killed — his fiance Karin, his parents, Liz and Michael, and his sisters Hagit and Koral.

He was born and raised in Ra’anana, according to a memorial website, and always brought hordes of friends over to his house. After his studies he served in the IDF, and following his release he traveled around the world, visiting India and Europe before his mother and sister joined him for a period traveling in Thailand.

Shahar had a lifelong love of animals, and a few years before he was killed, he and Lior opened together a horse ranch providing horse rides for adults and kids as well as therapeutic services. A silhouette of a horse was etched into his gravestone.

“Shahar was a man of nature, full of spirit, freedom and independence,” his sister, Hagit, told a local news site. “He loved horseback riding, loved the sea and was a surfer.”

She said even before he opened the ranch a few years ago, “he always loved animals, as a boy he would bring abandoned animals home and raise them… people said that when he entered a room he would bring great light with him.” Since he died, she said, “I have received messages from so many people who said that he helped them during dark times.”

His sister, Koral, wrote on Instagram two months after he was killed: “I know, I know that you can see everything from above. I know that you are really here with me, listening and feeling and understanding.”

Koral said that “nobody and nothing in the world can shake the soul-deep connection that we had. Thank you for giving me the strength to deal with what I am dealing with, thank you for coming to me in my dreams and giving me hints.”

She added: “What did you say to me in the last dream? ‘You trust me, right?’ So as always, the answer is yes. I love you my big brother, I will always remember you.”

Read more Those We Have Lost stories here.