Tal lives with his wife Adi (38) and their two children Nave (8) and Yahel (3) in the community village of Ma'ale Tzvia.
Tal is self-taught, with a passion for reading extensively and delving into new subjects. He also enjoys exercising and participating in various sports. The family resides in the northern part of the country and enjoys spending time by the Sea of Galilee, as well as exploring the desert regions in the south.
The Shoham family came to Kibbutz Be’eri to spend the Simchat Torah holiday with Adi’s parents. On Saturday October 7th, seven of their family members were kidnapped from the same safe room at the Haran home: Adi, Tal, Nave and Yahel Shoham; Dr. Shoshan Haran (67), Adi’s mother; Sharon Avigdori (52), Adi’s aunt, and her cousin Noam (12).
Adi’s father, Avshalom Haran (66), an economist and dual German-Israeli citizen, was murdered during the brutal attack. Avshalom’s sister and Adi’s aunt, Lilach Kipnis, and her husband Evyatar Kipnis were also murdered in their home on the kibbutz.
Of the extended Haran - Shoham - Avigdori family, three members were murdered and seven others were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.
Adi’s siblings, Yuval and Shaked, advocated fiercely for their family’s safe return home. The Haran siblings sought to approach the UN and the Red Cross aiming to share their ordeal and push for any possible information on their abducted loved ones. They described the catastrophe that ripped through their family and the constant state of powerlessness and anxiety they've endured since that day. "We're asking the UN and the Red Cross for at least a sign of life, to know their status," Yuval and Shaked said. "This is the most challenging part. We're desperate for a moment to pause, to breathe, to know they're alive, and only then can we think about the next steps. Our priority is to understand what's happening with them."
Adi, Nave and Yahel were released from captivity after 50 long days in Gaza as part of a temporary cease-fire agreement, along with Shoshan Haran. Sharon and Noam Avigdori were released alongside them on the same day, 25 November 2023.
Tal is still in captivity and his family, and all of us, await his safe return home.