Here Lived
Or and Ze’ev’s home was at the periphery of the student village, with its turquoise doors and carpenter’s workbench. Or arrived in Nir Oz during the Covid-19 period, when her studies at Ben Gurion University were conducted online. She says that the minute she set foot on the kibbutz lawns, she knew that that was it. She started working in the kibbutz and quickly found her place in the community. She met Ze’ev at a mutual friend’s wedding, after which he moved in with her. He was also a student at Ben Gurion University. Their home was warm and bright, filled with Ze’ev’s woodwork and the aroma of Or’s freshly baked goods. Both were active in the community: for example, Or worked in the kibbutz’s grocery store, and had you asked her, she could’ve told you exactly what every family had in their pantry. In the Purim holiday prior October 7, together with Iair Horn, Ze’evik was in charge of the artistic part of the best party in the area. In the last Shavu’ot holiday celebration before October 7, Or decided to experiment with choreography and choreograph the traditional women’s dance. Ze’evik gave a talk in the kibbutz pub about his subjects of interest. And more and more…
The two were engaged in September 2023. They then began the process of being accepted as kibbutz members, while also planning their wedding under the Ficus tree outside the dining room. After their engagement, they traveled to visit relatives abroad, and so were saved from the morning of October 7.
October 7th
From afar, they witnessed the events through conversations and written exchanges with members of the community. In the following days, they slowly became aware of the massive tragedy – friends who were murdered and abducted, and their own home, which was looted and burned. Their two cats, Kuti and Luli, survived the inferno and patiently waited for their return.
What Happened Since
Later, Or and Ze’ev were evacuated to kibbutz Ramot Menashe, got married, and in 2025, their son, Negev-Haim, was born. His name was inspired by the hidden magic and the vibrancy of the Western Negev, and also after Hayim Katsman, z”l, their friend from Kibbutz Holit, who was murdered at noon on that horrific Saturday.
