Rivka was born on May 28, 1949, in Givatayim, the only child of Holocaust survivors.
She was a member of the Ramat Gan chapter of the Hashomer Hatza’ir youth movement, Gedud Nir Oz. She later joined the Reut settlement group for Kibbutz Metzar and served in the Nahal brigade (Camp 80, the Snir outpost and the Nahal unit at Beit Nir). In 1970, she married Amikam, and their daughter, Lihi, was born. In 1972, they moved to Kibbutz Nir Oz, which became their home and community, where Rami and Liora were born.
Rivka’s life was rooted in creativity, and she was an artist through and through. In the kibbutz, she worked as a metapelet in the children’s houses, in the communa (where the kibbutz members’ laundry arrived to be sorted into their cubbies) and in the kibbutz sewing workshop, where she also sewed costumes for the kibbutz children and founded the “costume warehouse.” At home, she crafted stained glass, patchwork quilts and mobiles from recycled materials. She was always searching for inspiration and invariably found new ways to create. Her hands were in perpetual motion: sewing, embroidering, connecting and creating – she was continually on the lookout for new ideas and was adept at taking something simple and turning it into something full of beauty and life.
Her home was a place where the melodies of wind chimes could be heard, where small objects with stories behind them could be found, and where laughter and clever humor were always spoken from the heart.
Rivka was a candid, straightforward woman with an expansive, generous heart. In recent years, she shared a warm, loving relationship with Yossinu (Yossi) Gross.
The garden she cultivated also mirrored her essence – vibrant, dynamic and filled with love. She possessed curiosity and a love for the world, along with a yearning to learn, discover and explore.
Above all, she was a loving and devoted grandmother to Yonatan, Emil, Eshad, Tair and Liv, dedicating her time, attention and boundless love to her five grandchildren.
On October 7, Rivka and Yossinyu took shelter in their safe room. When the terrorists attacked, Yossinio charged them and was shot at point-blank range. Rivka was also murdered shortly thereafter.
Her spirit, creativity, warmth and love continue to live on within us.
She was 74 at the time of her death.
May Rivka’s memory be a blessing.
