As the hostages, both dead and alive, returned home in the recent deal, it felt like all of Israel was one family. Perhaps nothing illustrates that better than the fact that the songs that the released hostage Yarden Bibas played at the funeral for his wife, Shiri, and sons, Ariel and Kfir, are at the top of Israel’s Spotify virality charts.
The grieving father and husband chose to dedicate “Roman Sky” by Avenged Sevenfold for Shiri, which is now second on Spotify, and “I Thank You Child” by Zakk Wylde to his children, which has soared to first place. At the end of the funeral, “Hold on to Memories” by Disturbed was played, which currently occupies the third spot.
The chilling footage of Shiri Bibas holding her red-headed sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, nine months old, was seen around the world, and this image became a symbol for the cruelty of the terrorists. As months passed and they were not returned in either hostage deal, media outlets around the world played videos and showed photos of them, and people around the world cried out for their release.
Yarden Bibas returned to Israel on February 1 after nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Early on during his time as a captive in Gaza, he was told that Shiri and the children, who were kidnapped after he went out to the terrorists hoping to save their lives, had been killed in an Israeli air strike.
A sadistic video was made of him in captivity reacting to this announcement of their deaths, but there was no evidence offered to support the claim. It wasn’t until late last month that Israel officially received the horrifying news that the mother and her children were dead and that their bodies would be returned.
Three coffins were sent to Israel on February 20, 2025, but the adult female body turned out not to be Shiri Bibas, although the children were Kfir and Ariel, and the coroner said they had been sadistically murdered by the terrorists using only their bare hands. The next day, Shiri’s remains were returned, and finally, Yarden was able to lay his family to rest, in a private funeral, although many thousands lined the road from the medical examiner to the cemetery.
The lyrics of the songs he selected take on heart-rending weight when under the circumstances. “Roman Sky,” the song for Shiri, opens with the lyrics, “As the embers rose through the Roman sky/Tell me were you calm when they took your life?”
The song goes on to say, “As they spoke your fate a fearless man replied/As you will sentence me, your fear is beyond mine." It closes with the lines, “Just before you go, tell us how the heavens flow/Weightless evermore, as you walk beyond that door/Shine forever true.” Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy-metal band that has performed in Israel.
Zakk Wylde is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and for founding and performing in the heavy-metal band, Black Label Society. “I Thank You Child” is from his 1996 solo album, “Book of Shadows.” Its chorus includes the refrain, “It was you who made living all worth the while/ I thank you my child,” almost as if it were written with the Bibas children in mind.
It’s easy to see why “Hold on to Memories” was meaningful and especially well-suited to this tragic occasion. “Take the ones you love/And hold them close because there is little time,” sings David Draiman, the band’s frontman.
“And hold on to memories/ Hold on to every moment /To keep them alive /The world's greatest tragedy/ Souls who are not remembered/Cannot survive.” Amid the heartache expressed in the song, there are these lines of hope for the future: “Make the most of the rest of your life/Make a ride of this world while you can.”
'They will remain in our memory'
Draiman posted a video on his Instagram account after the funeral in which he said, "Dear Yarden, hello my brother. I am so sorry for your loss. The entire people of Israel weep with you today. Hold on to the memories of your family. Hold on to the memories of your children and your beloved wife. We will all do this. They will remain in our memory. May the memories of your children and your beloved wife be a blessing to you, always. Am Israel Chai. Be strong."
He spoke in English, except for the phrases "Hello, my brother" and "the people of Israel live," which he said in Hebrew.
Draiman, who has family in Israel and whose late grandmother was a Lehi underground fighter, visited the country last June and spent time at some sites of the October 7 massacres, including Kibbutz Be’eri and the site of the Supernova Music Festival.
He has spoken out many times in support of Israel both before and after October 7, and told the Jerusalem Post’s David Brinn in an in-depth interview, “My takeaway is that I’m encouraged by the indomitable spirit of the Israeli people and how, no matter the adversity, we continue to celebrate life, and we continue to move forward.”
Before “Hold Onto the Memories” was played, Carmit Palti Katzir, who hosted the funeral, said that the song "expresses the place where Yarden aspires to be.”
Sagi Ben Nun and David Brinn contributed to this article.