His killing came just one day after the death in Gaza of his cousin, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Eisenkot, 25, the son of Gadi Eisenkot, underscoring the profound personal toll the war has taken on the family.
Family and friends grieve for First Sergeant Major Gal Meir Eisenkot (Getty)Getty Images
Another nephew of Gadi Eisenkot, Capt. Yogev Pazi, 22, was killed in action in the Strip on November 17, 2024.
When the army arrived to deliver the devastating news of Maor’s death, they also brought a document asking whether Sharon wished to proceed with a posthumous sperm extraction. She agreed immediately.
“I thought it would be easy once I signed—that I could use it if needed—but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case,” she said. “I understood that it’s not the army or the Ministry of Defense that handles this, and there’s no law in place. So I realized I would have to go to court.”
During the mandatory 30-day mourning period following Maor’s death, Sharon recalled lifting the spirits of her other children—her daughter Eden, 25, and her son Almog, 20, who serves in the IDF—by telling them they would one day be the aunt and uncle of Maor’s child.
“Maor’s childhood friend heard me talking and pulled me aside,” Sharon said. “He told me that the two of them had spoken before Maor entered Gaza—they shared their fears, fears of the war, of dying or getting hurt. Maor told him he wasn’t afraid to die, but he was afraid of not having children.”
Maor and his friend had planned to donate sperm the next time they were home—but that chance never came.
“This story stayed with me,” Sharon said. “I kept thinking how lucky I was to have signed the document for the sperm extraction—if I hadn’t, I don’t know what I would have done with myself. With that understanding, I went to court and had to prove that having children was Maor’s will.”
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Maor Eisenkot - credit: Sharon Eisenkot[Missing Credit]
In court, Maor’s friend Noam shared the story of their conversation, while Maor’s siblings and other family members spoke about their own discussions with him on the subject, helping to demonstrate his clear desire to have children.
“Thank God, and thanks to Judge Rotem Kodler-Iyash, who recognized the unwritten mission Maor left for me to fulfill, and made the worthy decision to allow us to use his sperm,” Sharon told the JC.
The next step will be for Sharon to find the woman who will become the mother of her future grandchild. To find the mother, she is working with Hachasida, run by Michal Biran, which helps find co-parenting partners.
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[Missing Credit]
“She won’t just be a surrogate; she will be a mother in every sense. She will raise this child, and I will be his grandmother. This woman wants to have a child anyway. My offer is for this child to have not only his mother’s side of the family but also his father’s,” Sharon explained.
“This child will know who his father is. He will hear that his father was a hero and a saint. He will have a large, loving family that embraces and supports him. Everyone benefits from this,” she continued.
“I will have something living from my son. Right now, I only have pictures and a gravestone to visit. But I will have something living from my child, which is wonderful. It will bring a bit of joy into the house and joy into my heart,” she added.
To other bereaved families considering a similar path, Sharon expressed her desire to offer light and hope.
“If they have sperm donations and want to bring their son’s continuity to life, and they can prove it was their son’s wish, they should pursue it with all their strength and hope, and never lose hope,” she said.
“There is no replacing Maor, and nothing will fill the enormous space in my heart. Maor is Maor," she continued. "I don’t want his child to be a replacement. Like all grandmothers, I will do fun things and go on trips with him. I’ll give him everything a grandmother can give."
