Jonathan (Johnny) Siman Tov
36 years old | 1987–2023
Jonathan was born on May 15, 1987, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, the youngest son of Carol and Freddy Siman Tov and the brother of Koren, Amit, and Ranae. He was an especially beautiful child with golden hair and blue eyes, a huge heart, a radiant smile and always exuded an abundance of good energy. Johnny grew into a charming young man who loved and was loved. After two years in the academic reserve program (13th–14th grades), he enlisted in a special military unit in a significant role, where he met Tamar Kedem, the love of his life. After traveling around the world, they decided to return to the kibbutz to build their family there. Together, they welcomed their wonderful children: twin daughters Arbel and Shahar, and their beloved son, Omer Freddy. They were special children and remarkable parents, the kind for whom everything seemed effortless. With quiet confidence, ease, an abundance of laughter, love and lightness, they grew into a family to be admired. An inspiration and a source of pride.
Johnny lived his entire life on the kibbutz. He breathed and loved nature, the fields, the kibbutz and the people who lived there – young and old alike. He was a close brother to his sisters and a devoted, loving son to his mother.
He was a true “old-school” kibbutznik – involved in everything, volunteering for everything, always joyfully and with great love. On Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, he took charge of the communal barbecue; on Shavuot he organized and worked on the agricultural exhibition, crafting a surprising design each year with the hay bales; he visited the kibbutz pub every week and helped enliven the atmosphere; on Sukkot, during the kite festival, he made sure the field was watered to keep the dust the a minimum. He always responded to every request and was happy to help whenever needed. A true kibbutznik.
Johnny was a man of earth and sky, a man who loved people and had an enormous heart. A man of the earth who enjoyed, appreciated and was moved by every day in the fields. With the dogs in the vehicle and a large bottle of water, he would set out each day to reconnect with the fields he loved so much. A man of the sky, with his feet on the ground but his head among the clouds, sunsets, sunrises, birds, stars, solar eclipses, the moon, and the space stations passing overhead.
A lover of people whose every encounter was meaningful and special. . He never denied himself time with family and friends. He knew how to appreciate and enjoy every gathering, always with a broad smile and a warm embrace. His barbecue was always working overtime, producing delicacies filled with love. A beer, a glass of whiskey or coffee with Petit Beurre biscuits – the important thing was simply being together. . Giving was part of his very being; he was truly a “yes” person. The perfect partner for anything. He had a unique sense of humor, genuine modesty, the curious playfulness of a child and endless patience. He was talented and creative, intelligent and practical. He could hear an idea, a thought or a task and find a way to make it happen.
Johnny, you were a rare and extraordinary person. . A perfect brother who understood with a glance and immediately knew whether the moment called for a hug, a smile, a good conversation, a slap on the face or simply sitting quietly together listening to good music. You were a true friend, a caring son, a supportive and loving husband and the kind of father everyone wishes they had. You were like a visiting angel who came to this world for far too short a time, scattering your special magic dust everywhere.
You were our past, our present and our future. Now you are only in the past, and the pain is unbearable.
Thank you, Johnny, for being who you were to us. Thank you for the privilege of living beside you and sharing so many meaningful, special and joyful moments. Thank you for your big embrace, for your kind eyes shining with light and for the love that flowed from you every moment.
You returned, far too young, to the earth you loved so much.
We love you, grieve for you and miss you every moment, every minute.
We.
May your memory be love.
Tamar Sarah Kedem Siman Tov
35 years old | 1987–2023
Tamar was born in Jerusalem on May 29, 1988, the middle daughter of Reuma and Gadi Kedem, and sister to Noa and Maya. She was the mother of twin girls, Arbel and Shahar, and little Omer and wife of Jonathan (“John John”). She was an educator who dreamed big and achieved big.
Tamar grew up and was educated in Jerusalem, attended the Jerusalem Rehavia Gymnasium high school and was active in the Israeli Scouts movement. During her military service she served in an intelligence unit and was the first woman in her position. It was there she met John, who later became her husband.
Our beloved Tamari walked through the world with a broad smile and laughing eyes, filled with with love and lightness. She was a devoted daughter and sister, an inspiring and wonderful mother, a loving granddaughter, the aunt everyone most enjoyed being around, a supportive life partner and a true friend. An educator through and through, she was powerful, entrepreneurial, an artist at heart with hands capable of anything. Everything she touched turned to gold. She was an incurable optimist with boundless creativity in every field. She believed there was a solution to every problem, and with her everything truly felt possible, simple and full of hope.
WAt the age of twenty, she arrived in Nir Oz and became a pioneer of her generation. She quickly tied her life to the community’s life and took part in projects and initiatives, large and small – leading holiday teams, the kite festival, the Gan Toot courtyard project, and the renewal of the secondhand shop and more. Energy, resourcefulness and a desire to make a difference were deeply rooted in her soul. Tamar and John were married on the kibbutz football field in a joyful wedding filled with friends, family, good food and music. The kibbutz’s fields, green spaces and paths became an inseparable part of who she was and of the beloved family she built.
Education and leadership were central to Tamari’s life from a young age. Over the years and in every role she held, she became a formative and influential figure for her students, mentees and partners. At the age of 25, she co-founded the Bikkurim Youth Village for Excellence in Music and the Arts with the Dekel Chen family and served as its director in its early years. Later, she helped establish The Guild artists’ forum and was among the leaders in creating Lev HaNegev, the first forest school in the Eshkol Regional Council. At the same time, she worked with schools through the Foundation for the Encouragement of Educational Initiatives and facilitated the Atidim leadership training program for young leaders in local government.
In 2023, at only 35, Tamar decided to run for head of the regional council out of a desire to create a better shared future. She established a residents’ movement and ran a groundbreaking, courageous campaign that touched people’s hearts under the banner of: “Together We Create a Shared Future,” “Hope Is Contagious,” and “Shared Good” – messages she believed in with all her heart that were cut short on that Saturday.
Our Tamari, everyone who knew you was fortunate, and those who did not know you lost forever.
Thank you for everything you taught us and gave us: vitality, laughter, love and joy. Thank you for the inspiration, beauty and light.
We miss you endlessly and love you with all our hearts, every moment, every breath. We hope your great light will continue to show us the way.
The Family
Tamar was abandoned and murdered together with her husband John and their beloved children Arbel, Shahar and Omer on October 7 at their home in the kibbutz.
All were buried in the soil of Nir Oz.
Arbel Siman Tov
5.5 years old | 2018–2023
Our Arbeli (Bella), big sister and Shahar’s twin. Our wonderful five-and-a-half-year-old girl with a long black ponytail, bright and wise, with a huge heart, infectious laughter and kind mischievous eyes.
Your little body always carried enormous amounts of energy, determination, playfulness, charisma and strength, together with sensitivity, warmth and love.
You were a happy girl with an inquisitive, playful and curious gaze. You knew how to enjoy everything you encountered. You loved dancing, playing in the mud, climbing, singing, listening to music, running and playing wildly. You loved spending time with family, traveling, taking photographs, posing for pictures and making funny faces in selfies with Ima. You loved to eat yellow cheese and grapes, going out to the fields with the whole family and helping everyone you met. You were and always will be an amazing combination of Ima Tamari and Abba John.
Our Belli, you filled our lives with love, energy, laughter and joy for far too short a time.
We miss you and love you every moment, without end.
The Family
Shahar Siman Tov
5.5 years old | 2018–2023
Our Shaharuni (Shaharuti), our sweet doll, Arbel’s twin sister, a beloved five-and-a-half-year-old girl, golden-haired, gentle, creative, intelligent and wise, with infectious laughter and so much joy in her heart.
With your kind and curious eyes, you always knew how to stand your ground in your own unique and original way. A sensitive and loving child, a child of family and hugs. You loved nature and holding firebugs in your hands, running, dancing and playing wildly, but also finding quiet corners for yourself. You loved wearing dresses with butterflies, riding bicycles, playing football, spending time at the pool, playing with your cousins and walking through the fields. You loved drawing and sculpting like Mom Tamar and listening to music like Dad John. And most of all – you loved chocolate.
Our Shaharuti, you filled our lives with love, curiosity, joy and laughter for far too short a time.
We miss you and love you every moment, without end.
The Family
Omer Freddy Siman Tov
Age 2 years and 3½ months | 2021–2023
Our sweet little Omeriki (Omi).
Younger brother of Arbel and Shahar, a magical child, pure gold, a little prince with a huge smile and an even bigger heart. Clever, stubborn and sensitive, with flowing golden hair and smiling blue eyes. A two-and-a-half-year-old child with an old soul and a great light around him.
You always knew exactly how to explain what you needed, even without many words. You loved laughing and making others laugh, singing in gibberish and receiving hugs and kisses from everyone in the family. You adored your parents, your sisters and Zuko the dog. You loved taking walks, eating pastrami, rice with meatballs and Daniela. You loved playing soccer, running on the grass and riding your little motorcycle around the kibbutz. Mischievous and determined like Ima Tamar and a true child of nature and devoted tractor enthusiast just like Abba John.
Our Omeriko, our Omi, you filled our lives with love, mischief, happiness and laughter for far too short a time.
We miss you and love you every moment, every minute.
The Family
On October 7, 2023, Simchat Torah 5784, our beloved Siman Tov family was abandoned and murdered in their home. At 6:29 a.m., the entire family and Zuko the dog took shelter in the safe room. At 9:20 a.m., Hamas terrorists entered their home and fired dozens of bullets at the safe-room door but were unable to break in. They then set the house on fire. Jonathan’s mother, Carol, was also murdered that same Saturday in her home in Nir Oz.
For many long hours, Kibbutz Nir Oz was abandoned and forgotten. Army forces arrived only about nine hours later, after the last of the terrorists had already left the kibbutz and there was no one left to save in the home. The entire family was murdered in the safe room. Zuko the dog is the sole survivor of the horror.
The entire family was buried in the soil of Nir Oz.
