209: Nova on October 7: Aner Shapiro BDE, the young man who kept throwing live hand grenades back at the Hamas murderers. His parents Moshe and Shira Shapiro remember him

Find all of Jonny's 200+ podcasts recorded from 2018 to the present day on his Substack. It is the privilege of my journalistic life to bring you stories of courage, resilience and extraordinary bravery that have emerged from the atrocities of October 7th—the day that changed Israel and the Jewish world moving forward. As you scroll back through my podcast archive, you’ll find conversations with survivors, bereaved families, soldiers and hostages whose experiences bear witness to that day and its aftermath. In this episode, let’s speak with Moshe and Shira Shapiro, the parents of Aner Shapiro, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists at just 22 years old. Aner was among dozens of young people sheltering inside a concrete roadside bunker after terrorists overran the Nova Music Festival. As grenade after grenade was hurled into the confined space, Aner repeatedly picked them up and threw them back outside, trying to save the lives huddled behind him. He continued until he no longer could. Eventually, the terrorists overwhelmed the bunker, and Aner was murdered alongside many of the people he had been trying to protect. His courage has become one of the defining stories of October 7th, but for Moshe and Shira, it is the story of a beloved son whose values were revealed in the most unimaginable and frankly, impossible circumstances. I met them at the Nova Music Festival Exhibition and Memorial when it came to London in the summer of 2026. My thanks to Gail Davidson for making this and so many other conversations possible. And, as always, thank you to Dangoor Education and UK Toremet. Without their support, I simply couldn’t bring you Jonny Gould’s Jewish State. Find all of Jonny's 200+ podcasts recorded from 2018 to the present day on his ⁠Substack⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices