Here Were
Sometime in 2006, Gideon Pauker, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, dreamed of having a vineyard and winery of his own, where he could produce wine for the enjoyment of his family and friends. His dream was immediately embraced by fellow kibbutz members – the “Nir Oz Wine Group.” With the encouragement of Haim Perry and Gadi Moses, the dream became a reality.
The gang planted a one-dunam vineyard, and the wine was produced in a bomb shelter that was converted into a winery.
The vineyard was planted next to the kibbutz fence, on land directly facing the Gaza Strip. Over the years, the group cultivated various grape varieties; some were replaced, while others were added.
Gideon cared for the vines all year around – watering, weeding, monitoring, and measuring their progress until harvest time arrived. Early on Saturday mornings, the group would gather to pick the grapes. Guests, children, and grandchildren would often join them, harvesting the grapes.
Later, everyone would gather in the kibbutz to press the grapes and enjoy breakfast together.
With its sweeping sunset views, surrounding fields, and flourishing vines, the vineyard became an ideal place for social gatherings, always accompanied by a bottle of wine.
Gideon was both vintner and vineyard manager, working alongside the other partners to produce various wines. The bomb shelter that became the winery was the first shelter ever built in Nir Oz and had served many purposes over the years. In 2006, it was transformed into a winery.
A variety of wines were produced there, using blends made from grapes grown in the Nir Oz vineyard.
Gideon came daily to tend the wine and the vineyard, and when the wine reached maturity, the entire group would gather again, with their children and other family members, to bottle it. The bottles were shared among the partners, and wine from the winery was always brought to kibbutz celebrations and community events.
October 7th
On October 7, 2023, barrels of wine from the 2022 and 2023 harvests – the latter harvested only a month earlier – remained in the winery.
On that terrible day, Gideon was murdered, and three of his partners were taken hostage to Gaza: Haim Perry, Gadi Moses, and Yoram Metzger.\
What Happened Since
On October 8, the kibbutz was evacuated, and no one remained to care for the wine in the barrels. Two weeks later, Raz and Gal Pauker, Gideon’s son and grandson, entered the kibbutz with the assistance of Chaim Gan, an Israeli leading wine consultant and expert, along with other winemakers, to save the wine left in the winery and restore the vineyard, which had been damaged during the events of October 7, 2023.
In February 2024, Yoram and Haim were murdered in captivity. Their bodies were returned to Israel in August 2024 and laid to rest in Nir Oz.
Gadi Moses, who was abducted to Gaza and the entire community of Nir Oz fought for his return, was released from captivity after 482 days, on January 29, 2025. Upon his return, he immediately declared his commitment to rehabilitate and rebuild Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Today, Raz and Gal Pauker continue to follow the path that Gideon paved, caring for the vineyard and the winery, and producing wine for the surviving partners and heirs of the Wine Group, which suffered devastating losses.
