Here lived
This was the home of Aviva Korin. Born in Iraq, Aviva is now almost 80 and has been a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz for six decades. Aviva moved into this house in 1994 with her partner, the advertiser Martin Fenton z”l. They lived here together until Martin’s death in 1998.
A kindergarten teacher and educator by training, Aviva also worked in advertising and public relations, including with the Eshkol Regional Council. She also held various administrative positions, serving as an office manager both in the region and in the Kibbutz Movement. She came to Nir Oz in 1965 from Kibbutz Revadim, joining her partner and future husband, Yigal, as a member of the Kibbutz’s “Tzabar” group. Aviva and Yigal had two children, Idan and Tali, and five grandchildren, all of whom live outside the kibbutz.
October 7th
Aviva experienced three miracles on October 7th. The first: she wasn’t in the kibbutz that day… she had left the evening before the Simhat Torah holiday to attend a reunion of her youth movement comrades. Her children are astonished at how frequently she travels – to reunions, trips, educational programs, etc. This time, they were obviously relieved that she had been “scampering.” Aviva’s home was left mostly intact but was looted. Everything inside was scattered or destroyed.
The second miracle: on that very Shabbat, October 7, Aviva was supposed to host her extended family, since her American cousin was visiting Israel with her husband for the Tishrei Holidays. As luck would have it, the gathering, attended by 30 people, was moved up by one week.
The third and most important miracle is that her son, Idan, fought the terrorists, evacuated people, and cleared the area in Kibbutz Be’eri for three days, under emergency call-up orders (Tzav 8), together with his teammates from Sayeret Matkal, and came out safe and sound, thank God!!!
Aviva felt secure living in Nir Oz, and yet, being so close to the border fence, she often imagined possible scenarios. What would she do if terrorists infiltrated? Where would she hide? Would she speak to them in Arabic? Offer them refreshments? Her brother would say his worst fear was that a million Palestinians would break through the border en masse and overrun the kibbutz.
What actually happened was even worse.
What Happened Since
Aviva joined the Nir Oz survivors in Eilat. Later, she relocated to Karme Gat, where she now lives with the rest of the Nir Oz community.
