Louk family keeps Shani’s light alive

“When I dance, I pray,” Israeli tattoo artist Shani Louk told her father, Nissim Louk, when he asked about her insatiable passion for dance festivals around the world. For her, music had the power to heal and connect. The Nova festival on Israel’s border with Gaza on 7 October 2023 would be her last.

The beautiful 22-year-old became a symbol of the horrors of that fateful day. One of the first and most harrowing images to emerge from the massacre was a video of her half-naked body, face-down on the back of a pick-up truck, paraded through the streets of Gaza by Hamas militants. The world recoiled in shock, leaving a scar on our collective memory.

On 8 October, newspapers across the world had Shani’s radiant face on theirs covers starkly contrasted with chilling screenshots from that video, in which armed Hamas terrorists stood over her lifeless body. “With her final message, Shani made the world confront the undeniable battle between good and evil,” said her grieving father. “The question now is: which side will the world choose?”

Nissim and his wife, Ricarda, shared their story at The Base shul on Sunday, 2 February, on their first visit to South Africa.

For weeks, they told how they held onto hope that Shani had survived. “There was no visible blood on the pick-up truck, and we traced cash withdrawals from her credit card in Gaza,” they said. Reports indicated she might have been hospitalised with a head injury. Determined to bring her daughter home, Ricarda, a German-born citizen, flew to Germany to petition the government for assistance. “Shani’s German passport gave her a significantly higher chance of returning home from Gaza than her Israeli passport would,” Nissim said.

Ricarda pleaded for assistance across media platforms to help bring their daughter home, and Shani’s story resonated worldwide. “Until there’s proof, you never give up hope,” Ricarda said.

Yet, despite their efforts, forensic experts ultimately confirmed Shani’s death. A fragment of her skull, recovered on Israeli soil, confirmed that she had been killed on 7 October. As painful as the reality was, Ricarda found solace in one small mercy. “It was a relief to know that Shani hadn’t suffered any of the inhumane torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation at the hands of Hamas.”

For seven agonising months, her parents, desperate to reconstruct their daughter’s final moments, continued searching for answers. Then, in a daring operation, Israel Defense Forces soldiers recovered her body from a 50m-deep tunnel hidden beneath an abandoned building in Gaza. “She was returned to us on her mother’s birthday,” Nissim said. “At last, we had closure,” Ricarda said.

Shani’s funeral drew hundreds, including from global media outlets. Amid his grief, Nissim recalled an encounter with a stranger that revealed more about his daughter’s legacy than he had ever known.

He was standing at his daughter’s coffin, when a young woman approached, adamant about addressing the crowd. She shared how, at her lowest point – alone, penniless, and without any hope left – an angel appeared. ‘Why is such a beautiful girl alone on the street?’ she asked before offering her hand. That angel was Shani. ‘Hold my hand, stick to my light, and be part of my tribe,’” she said.

“That tribe is us,” Nissim declared. “It is the light of the Jewish people that will save the world from darkness and destruction.”

The Louk family embodies this mission. Despite unimaginable loss, they are travelling the world advocating for the long-term security of the Jewish people.

Nissim smiles through his tired eyes as he recalls cherished memories of his little girl. “Shani loved picking wildflowers from the forest in Moshav Srigim, where she grew up,” he says. “She was always a free spirit, so full of energy.”

Ricarda reflected on Shani’s fierce conviction later in her life when she decided to make her own way in Tel Aviv, determined to follow her dream of becoming a tattoo artist.

“Every mother wants to guide their child toward a good life, offering them all the options,” Ricarda said, “But Shani always carved out her own path.” Though she often questioned whether her daughter’s choices were the right ones, she quickly learned that Shani’s courage to live authentically was what made her truly happy.

“Her choices led her to a full and exciting life,” she said, advising other mothers to respect the unique character and choices of their children. “I learned that as long as they go out into the world with good values and intentions, they will always find success.”

In the wake of Shani’s passing, Nissim and Ricarda unearthed a side of their daughter they never fully knew. “We heard so many stories from people who knew her – old friends and new ones she met on her travels.” They realised that the girl they thought they knew was far more than they ever realised.

Beneath her non-conformist rebellion, they discovered a woman with a profound connection to humanity, a yearning for unity, and a passion for helping others.

“Many people ask, ‘How do you keep living a happy life after losing your daughter?’” Ricarda said. “Sometimes, I don’t have the answer. But there’s no point in staying stuck in the past. We’ll never get Shani back, so we choose to hold on to the good moments – her smile, her love for travel, music, art,” she paused, her mind filled with happy memories. “We have to keep moving forward, for her.”

“Her name means ‘light’, but she was more like a flashlight,” Ricarda said. “She lived fast, travelled widely, and embraced life with an intensity.” In hindsight, her family now understands why.

The event was a collaboration between The Base, the Jewish National Fund South Africa, the South African Zionist Federation, and the Israel Centre of South Africa. The evening also featured an exhibition of Shani’s artwork, curated by renowned South African art expert Natalie Knight, with support from the Israeli and German embassies.