Here Lived
The Maor-Danzig family lived in this home: Lee (39), born and raised in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Yaron (40), and their four daughters – Eden (15), Tamar (12), Naomi (9), and Yasmin (6).
Lee worked as an educator in the kibbutz and later became a social worker. Yaron worked in construction and was responsible for the kibbutz’s infrastructure, managing various projects.
October 7th
On October 7, Lee, Yaron, and three of their daughters were in the safe room. Their oldest daughter, Eden, was staying with Lee’s mother, Rachel Danzig, at the other side of the kibbutz.
At around 9 a.m., the terrorists reached the Maor family home. Yaron left the safe room with his personal weapon, and for nearly two hours, fought the terrorists trying to enter through the kitchen window and others, who were shooting through the windows and throwing grenades from outside.
Meanwhile, Lee held the safe room door handle tightly, trying to summon help that never came. The girls hid together under one of the beds in the safe room. At around 11 a.m., almost out of ammunition, Yaron returned to the safe room. At that point, the terrorists torched the house. After several terror-filled hours in the safe room, without any food or water, the family started suffocating from the smoke. They decided to save themselves by escaping through the safe room window. As they climbed outside, they encountered a special-forces unit, who thought Yaron was a terrorist and aimed their weapons at him. Yaron shouted the “Shema Israel” (Hear O Israel) prayer, and miraculously wasn’t shot. The special forces unit then escorted Lee and the girls to the Cochavi family’s safe room.
From 2 p.m. until late that night, Yaron joined the special forces in the kibbutz and rescued people from their homes. Lee’s father, Alex Dancig, was kidnapped from his home in Nir Oz. Her uncle, Itzik Elgarat, was kidnapped from his home, bleeding and wounded.
What Happened Since
After many months of agony, Alex Dancig was murdered in captivity. His body was returned for burial in August 2024.
Released hostages reported meeting Itzik Elgart in captivity and reported on his condition. In March 2025, as part of a hostage deal, Itzik’s body was returned, and he was laid to rest in Nir Oz.
Today, the Maor family lives in a rented apartment in Binyamina, fighting the bureaucracy and trying to rehabilitate themselves. In April 2025, the family’s dog Billy was found in Gaza by a soldier from the Golani Brigade and returned to her family.
