Here Lived
This was the home of Sharon and David Cunio. Sharon and David Cunio had been together for 12 years, and in 2023 they were raising their three-year-old twin daughters, Emma and Julie, in this house. Their home was a happy one, always open to their wonderful neighbors, filled with the twins’ milestones as they grew up, with fun, music, baby pools on the lawn, and jumping on the trampoline. David and Emma especially enjoyed standing together over the grill, barbequing for the family. This was the home of a happy family.
October 7th
On October 7, 2023, Sharon and David had guests for the holiday, Sharon’s sister and niece, Danielle and Emilia Alony. Everyone was awakened by the early morning sirens and rushed to the safe room. There they read the message that terrorists had infiltrated the kibbutz, and soon after the electricity went out, leaving them in darkness, unable to see a thing. At around 9:30 a.m., terrorists entered their home, and Sharon and David heard shouts and screams in Arabic. The terrorists tried to break into the safe room while Sharon and David did everything they could to keep them out. When the terrorists were unable to get in, they set the house on fire in order to force the family out of the safe room. The family had no choice but to climb out of the safe-room window, where they were then kidnapped separately. David and Julie were captured at their neighbors’ house. Sharon was forced out with Emma, Danielle, and Emilia, but was dragged away and kidnapped separately from her daughter, sister, and niece.
Three-year-old Emma was taken to Gaza with her aunt, Danielle Alony, but upon entering Gaza, Emma was taken away from her aunt and held alone for ten days. Afterward, she was taken to where David, Sharon, and Julie were being held captive. On the 52nd day of the war, Sharon and the twins were released as part of the November 2023 hostage deal, and they were returned to Israel. Danielle and her daughter Emilia had been released three days earlier.
What Happened Since
While David and his younger brother, Ariel, were still held hostage in Gaza, Sharon, Emma, and Julie moved to the center of the country, near Sharon’s parents. There, along with the rest of the family, they worked tirelessly to free the hostages.
On October 13, 2025, after more than two years in captivity, David and Ariel were freed along with the remaining living hostages as part of a hostage deal.
Sharon, David, Emma, and Julie were reunited as a family and are finally able to begin their journey of healing together.
