Mother: Michal Frankel Biton
Daughter: Maya Biton, 22 at the time of her death/murder
Family: Married to Loro, Maya was their eldest daughter, sister to Noa (21) and Gabriel (14)
Moments of Terror: At 7:30 AM Saturday morning, I woke up to the alarm and immediately called Maya. She answered and said there was a red alert, they had turned off the music, and there was nothing to worry about. Half an hour later, I called again, and she said they were standing between two garbage bins because the police had instructed them to do so. A few minutes later, Maya sent a WhatsApp message, saying everything was okay but there were terrorists and the police had told them to hide inside the garbage bin. We continued to text, and she asked for someone to come and save them, saying she was scared. I reassured her that we have the strongest army and that she should stay strong because lemon can turn to lemonade. I asked her to cover her ears, sing a song in her heart, and ignore the background noises. That it would be over soon, and by evening she would be in bed in her pyjamas. Eventually, she said no one would come, and she could hear "Allahu Akbar". She said "Shema Israel" and that she loved us. Those words broke my heart. I continued to encourage her and keep her optimistic until 11:41 AM when Maya and her boyfriend's battery ran out. 
Three days later, on October 10th at 2:00 AM, we were sitting in the yard with friends and my husband saw people arriving on the security cameras. I told him it was probably the bread delivery man, but he said it was a police car. We rushed to the officer. I was sure he was coming to tell us they found Maya alive. Loro, my husband, already understood and screamed. I looked at the officer, and he didn’t say anything; his eyes were just filled with tears. I hit him and pushed him, screaming that it was a mistake.
The Person Behind the Story: Maya, our eldest daughter, was a very beautiful girl who always turned heads. At 17, she fell in love with Eliran and stayed with him until the very end, when they were murdered together. That summer, on August 10th, Eliran proposed to Maya (after asking for our blessing). Friday the 13th, a week after the party, we were supposed to have their engagement party in our yard.
Maya made us, especially me, so proud—both in her military service and in her travels to some of the most dangerous places in the world. Her qualities, such as her emotional intelligence, always noticing people who needed help, her maturity, and her care for others - stood out. Many times, I felt she was the responsible adult between the two of us. She was so wise and true to herself, always smiling and laughing loudly and joyfully. I am glad she got to love and be loved, and travelled the world with us as a family, with her grandparents, with her partner, and with friends.
My Message: Live and let live. Love your children, and don’t get angry over trivial things. It doesn’t matter what they are doing - what matters are the memories you create, the love, the quality time, kissing, and hugging.
Project in Memory of Maya: Next to our house, there is a shortcut that is now called "Maya’s Path" (the municipality put up a sign). The path leads to a garden located behind our house. We planted two Pittosporum trees, Maya’s, and my favorite tree. Between the two trees, we placed two benches— “Maya and Eliran’s Love Benches,” with signage and their picture, along with a QR code leading to presentations about them. At the site of the party, exactly where Maya and Eliran were murdered, we placed a special stone monument dedicated to Maya and Eliran.