Next week, Tel Aviv’s Menora Arena will host a major international combat sports event, where, for the first time, all three Gordon brothers will compete on the same card. Before stepping into the ring, Ahavat Hashem and Kibedy Gordon returned to the community of Shiloh, where they lived until just a few years ago. There, they met with Binyamin Regional Council Governor Yisrael Ganz and inspired 1,500 children attending local summer camps.
"We grew up right where you're sitting today," they told the children.
Just days before GFN1, the highly anticipated combat sports event taking place on Monday at Menora Arena, the Gordon brothers chose to make their final preparations in the place where their journey began. Ahavat Hashem and Kibedy Gordon returned to the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, near their childhood home, where they prayed for success at the location of the biblical Tabernacle and shared a simple message with the children attending Binyamin’s summer camps: dream big and never give up.
The brothers arrived at Ancient Shiloh accompanied by their mother, Chaninat Hashem Gordon. They were joined by Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, and Eliana Passentin, International Desk Director of the Binyamin Regional Council. During the visit, the group offered prayers for the brothers’ success in the upcoming fights.
One particularly moving moment came when Ahavat Hashem pulled out a childhood photograph showing him riding a donkey in Shiloh, just steps away from where he now stood as an internationally recognized fighter.
Later, the brothers met with participants in the Binyamin Plus summer camps. On that day alone, approximately 1,500 boys and girls from across the Binyamin region visited Ancient Shiloh as part of the tens of thousands of children who tour the site throughout the summer.
Ganz spoke to the children about the significance of Shiloh as the location of the Tabernacle. He then introduced Ahavat Hashem and Kibedy, who grew up in Shiloh, attended the council’s summer camps themselves, and have since become two of Israel’s leading fighters.
"There is nothing more inspiring than seeing children who once sat here at Binyamin’s summer camps return as role models for the next generation," said Ganz. "Ahavat Hashem and Kibedy demonstrate that with a big dream, perseverance, and hard work, you can go very far - without ever forgetting where you came from."
Ahavat Hashem shared his own message with the children: "Until just a few years ago, I lived here in Shiloh. I remember sitting exactly where you are now at these summer camps. I always had a big dream, and I’m still chasing it today. If you have a dream, keep working toward it, believe in yourself, and never give up."
The encounter left a strong impression on the children. Many lined up to take photos with the brothers, and some even received signatures on their camp hats - a reminder that even the biggest dreams can begin right here, at home.