Here Lived
Ofelia (78) and Hector (80) Roitman made aliyah to Israel in 1985. They left Buenos Aires, Argentina, with their three children, Pablo, Natalie, and Damian, to fulfill a lifelong Zionist dream.
In Israel they settled in Nir Oz, a small, tight-knit, and remarkable community that had opened its doors to Latin American immigrants for the first time.
Ofelia was a dedicated educator who had worked in Argentina as both a teacher and a principal in elementary schools. After arriving at the kibbutz, she worked in the Kibbutz children’s house for many years and went on to teach teenagers from the kibbutz and the surrounding regional council in the Hashomer Hatzair educational center. In the years leading up to her retirement, she worked in the Nirlat factory’s laboratory.
Hector is an artist and poet. Over the past two decades, he taught art and ran numerous classes for senior citizens at Neve Eshkol and in communities throughout the region. After completing his studies at an art college in Be’er Sheva, he focused on mosaic work. Over the years, his work was featured in many exhibitions across Israel and abroad.
October 7th
On October 7, Hector was at the “Adi Negev” rehabilitation center, recovering from a pelvic fracture, and was thus spared from the massacre at Nir Oz. Ofelia, who had been planning to visit him that very day, was brutally kidnapped from their home. Hamas terrorists broke in, wounded her hand, and took her to Gaza, bleeding and in pain. In captivity, she was held alone in a dark room with almost no food, living in constant physical and psychological fear. She got through the days by keeping a journal, staying physically active, and holding onto the hope of seeing her family again. After 53 days, she was released in the fifth phase of the hostage agreement.
Their home was stripped of everything in it, largely destroyed, and partially burned by Hamas terrorists and the Palestinian civilians who flooded in behind them. All of Hector’s artwork was lost to the flames, desecrating the soul of the place that had been their refuge – their home.
What Happened Since
Ofelia and Hector now live in an assisted living facility in Lehavim. They are finding their footing in a new place, surrounded by their children, their nine grandchildren, their first great-granddaughter, and a warm and supportive new community. They deeply miss Nir Oz and the life they built there before October 7.
