Here Lived
This apartment belonged to Dekel Goren in the months before the massacre. Dekel was born and raised on the kibbutz, the daughter of Avner z”l and Maya z”l, and sister to Assif, Bar, and Gal. She was educated in the kibbutz school system, at the regional schools, and in the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. During high school, she worked in the kibbutz’s educational framework and occasionally in other places. At the end of August 2023, Dekel left for a post-high school year of community service through the Hashomer Hatzair movement.
October 7th
On the morning of October 7, Dekel and her partner Dean were in the safe room of this apartment as the massacre raged across the kibbutz. As the hours passed, Dekel lost contact with her parents. Their apartment was one of the few homes the terrorists didn’t enter, though the neighboring apartments were burnt to the ground. After approximately 11 hours, Dekel and Dean were rescued by soldiers and taken to the kibbutz’s operations room, and later to the kindergarten. On the afternoon of October 8, they were evacuated from Nir Oz. Dekel’s father, Avner, was wounded, abducted from the family home, and murdered on the way to Gaza. Dekel’s mother, Maya, was severely wounded by gunfire, abducted from the Kibbutz children’s house, and murdered.
What Happened Since
Several days later, the body of Avner, her father, was found on Israeli soil near the border with Gaza, and at the end of October, he was buried in Nir Oz. After some time, Dekel returned to her post-high school year of community service and continued working in education, while also advocating for the return of the hostages. In the summer of 2024, Dekel completed her service year, and in November of that year, she enlisted into the IDF and served in the Medical Corps. Her mother Maya was held in captivity until the end of July 2024, when she was recovered in a military operation and brought home for burial alongside her husband Avner.
