Widow of Capt. Uri Shani Marries His Commander in Emotional Wedding

Miriam Shani, the widow of Capt. Uri Shani, who fell on October 7, married Ofek Shani on Tuesday night. Ofek had been Uri’s commander during the training track in the Egoz Unit. The wedding came after Miriam lost Uri in the battle of Kissufim, one of the deadly battles of the Hamas attack. Uri left behind Miriam and their young child. 

Standing under the chuppah, Ofek spoke about Uri’s place in their lives and the home he and Miriam are now building together.

“Uri is with us at every stage and accompanies us in every step, including today,” Ofek said. “Miriam and I are going to build a home together, a second floor on strong foundations planted deep in the ground. Thank you for the first floor. Thank you for everything.”

“What kind of world is this, where the wheel of life does not stop?” he said. “A world where light and darkness are mixed together, where a rabbi becomes a student, and a commander becomes a partner on the path. Circles close and open again without pause.”

In another part of his remarks, Ofek described rebuilding from brokenness as part of the story of Am Yisrael.

“There are stones like these, probably most of them, that were shattered into thousands of small fragments, and putting them back together is the story of this nation’s life — the story of Am Yisrael,” he said.

Uri’s father, Yehoshua Shani, also blessed the couple under the chuppah. For him, the moment carried both the pain of losing his son and the comfort of seeing Miriam begin a new chapter.

“After a period of pain and longing for which there are no words, we merited to see a new light enter our lives,” he said. “May it be God’s will that we all merit to see how from the darkness a great light is revealed, and how Am Yisrael continues to choose life, faith and eternity,” he said.

Earlier on the day of the wedding, Yehoshua wrote about his own journey from mourning to joy. He and his wife began the day with prayer at Maarat Hamachpela, where they prayed for Am Yisrael and for victory in the war. From there, he went to Har Herzl, to stand at Uri’s grave before going to the chuppah.

In his reflection, Yehoshua wrote that standing at Uri’s grave did not leave him only with a feeling of death, but also with a deeper sense of life. He said the experience strengthened his understanding of “Netzach Yisrael,” the eternity of Israel, and of the way private pain and national life are bound together.

“Our enemies know only how to destroy,” he wrote. “But we have a greater power: to rejoice, to live and to build. To build homes. To build families. From the prayer at Ma’arat Hamachpela, through the tears at Har Herzl, and to the chuppah this evening, this is the story of Am Yisrael,” he wrote.