In Eilabun, a pre-season volleyball tournament for the Premier League was held in memory of the late Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson, a player for the team who fell on October 7.
Three of Israel’s top volleyball teams — M.S. Eilabun, Hapoel HaMa’apil, and Hapoel Kiryat Ata — came together to participate in the tournament initiated by the club, in partnership with the community and the Levinson family. The event served as both a commemoration and a celebration of sportsmanship, brotherhood, and shared life — The Shay Levinson Tournament.
Staff Sergeant Shay Levinson (19), a tank commander in Battalion 77 of the Armored Corps, was killed in the battles of October 7 after leading his tank crew in the fighting along the border. His body was kidnapped to Gaza and later returned to Israel in a military operation. Alongside his combat service, Shay was also a professional volleyball player for M.S. Eilabun.
Shay’s mother, Shlomit, an employee of the JDC, spoke about his determination and his dream of meaningful service:
“Shay had the status of an active athlete and even had medical limitations that could have exempted him from combat service, but he insisted on serving in a meaningful combat role. I am so proud of Shay — a 19-year-old soldier whose only wish was to defend the State of Israel. He never hesitated to run toward danger, and through his bravery, he saved many lives.”
The gym filled with many fans from Eilabun, friends from different stages of Shay’s life, and his family — his parents Shlomit and Kochav, and his siblings Ben and Mika.
The emotional tournament opened with a moment of silence, followed by three intense matches cheered on by the crowd, with all players wearing jerseys bearing the number 13 — Shay’s number.
From the First Practices to the Premier League
The Levinson family’s connection to Eilabun grew out of Shlomit’s love for volleyball.
A former player herself, Shlomit brought her sons Ben and Shay to play at the Eilabun club when they were children. Both quickly fell in love with the sport, rising through the ranks to the professional senior team and achieving impressive titles along the way. Their younger sister Mika later followed in their footsteps and joined the women’s senior team.
“From the very first day Ben, Shay, and Mika touched a volleyball, you made us feel that Eilabun was home and that the volleyball club was family,” said Shlomit during her remarks at the ceremony preceding the tournament. “Since October 7, that bond has only grown stronger. You have supported us every step of the way.”
Brothers Samaan and Saher Samaan are the leading figures behind M.S. Eilabun’s volleyball program, which has competed in the Premier League for seven years.
Samaan coaches the men’s senior team, while Saher manages the club and also coaches the women’s team, which likewise plays in the Premier League. Both brothers coached Shay at different points in his career and knew the family well.
Saher spoke about his relationship with Shay and the values he embodied as an athlete and a person:
“Shay was a wonderful kid who joined us at age 14. Everyone loved him; he was a strong believer in coexistence — he even learned Arabic and felt deeply connected to the club and the people.”
Samaan, who coached Shay on the senior team after he was promoted two years ago, shared:
“When Shay began with the youth team, it wasn’t easy for him. He came to the sport relatively late, from another village, with a different language and culture. None of that stopped him — he always worked hard in practice to improve, succeed, and reach the level needed to be in the starting six. After winning the national youth championship, Shay advanced to the senior Premier League team, where the competition is tougher and the roster includes both homegrown and foreign players — and he earned his place as a legitimate Premier League player.”
In the tournament itself, Eilabun’s team took first place. The club promised that this season-opening tournament in memory of Shay will become a tradition — a living legacy honoring his spirit, sportsmanship, and values.
We are grateful for the privilege of sponsoring this event commemorating the late Shay Levinson — a sporting tournament that embodies such meaningful values: brotherhood, community, excellence in sports, and shared life.
It is fitting to end with Shlomit’s moving words:
“I’m sure Shay is looking down on us and saying, ‘As long as someone remembers me, it means I’m alive.’ So for him — we are here, because we chose life.”
