Shoval Ya'akov

Once upon a time, we had a boy… who, until a few months ago, was alive and kicking.
He was a dedicated worker, a good and loyal friend, a lover of parties and thrills.
We got him on loan for 27 years, during which we tried to be an anchor for him, a warm and loving home.
You couldn’t miss Shoval… tall, handsome, loud… a cigarette in his mouth with a juicy curse.
If he liked you, he cursed you in "Shovalese"… or as he would say, "At least I can stand you 😊." But that was just a test he put people through… Those who managed to clear the hurdle stayed friends for life. Those who weren't scared off and saw the goodness in his heart stayed there forever.
Whoever didn’t get to know him really missed out! A whole world existed within one person.
He was a man of contradictions: challenged in school as a child but smart and self-taught.
A tough exterior but with a soft and kind heart, messy and disorganized but responsible and with a big mind.
He would talk non-stop about aquaculture and fish farming. Sometimes, he would go on about it so much that you'd wonder if he had any life outside of fish... He simply lived Israeli agriculture with all his soul.
He was a simple man, who didn’t need much. A bottle of beer and good company at the end of the day, and he was happy.
Shoval was crazy about the Valley of Springs, its landscapes, and its people.
We knew we could call him at any hour and he would come to help with whatever was needed. We knew we could count on him.
Just before he vanished from our lives, we felt like life was finally falling into place for him. For the first time in his life, he decided to leave the fish farm he loved so much, and he planned to travel with his beloved Nunu and start a family. All I can do now is imagine… But I imagine him as a playful dad who also knows how to set boundaries, who gives his heart and soul.
The most alive person on earth, who is no longer alive, and it just doesn’t make sense! A man of contradictions, as we said…
We are left with a hole in our hearts shaped like him, and like us, so are all his friends and everyone Shoval touched in his unique way.
So many family members, friends, and loved ones are left in pain and shock, with a trail of light that will only continue to grow.
Everyone asks, how do we move on from here? How do we rise from these hard blows?
And I say, do not despair. Because as the poet says, "It’s always darkest before the dawn." The dawn is near.
God willing, we will see the light soon, and as Shoval said, "There’s nothing like this life..." so celebrate life. There is so much good around, you just have to know where to look.

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Meirav, Shoval's mom