Here Lived
Rachel Danzig Elgarat lived here.
Rachel, 71 years old, was born in Bat Yam and came to the kibbutz as part of the Yael group. Rachel married Alex Danzig, and together they raised four children on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Rachel is an artist, a painter, and a sculptor. Over the years, she had a variety of roles on the kibbutz: she worked in the education sector, helped plan events like weddings and bar mitzvahs, ran an art center where children could create and explore with different art supplies, and taught art at the local high school, Ma’ale Habsor. Rachel has a sense of humor and an uncompromising character. She loves music and dogs, and playing Rummy on her porch.
October 7th
On October 7, Rachel was at home with two of her granddaughters, Eden Maor – a 15 year old who lives on Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Achinoam – a 16 year old from Tel Aviv. When the missile attack began, they went into the safe room, taking with them Rachel’s beloved dog Billy, a stunning two-year-old Cavalier.
At 7:00 a.m., Rachel left the safe room, going out to her porch to drink coffee. She noticed people she didn’t know outside. At the same moment, Eden yelled to her that terrorists had infiltrated Kibbutz Be’eri and had broken into her friend’s house. Rachel immediately understood that she was standing across from a group of terrorists. She ran back inside, closing the door and returning to the safe room. Her dog, Billy, ran after her but didn’t make it to the safe room in time. At around 7:30 a.m., terrorists started breaking into her house. Then they tried to break into the safe room, shooting at the door while trying to open it, but Rachel held tightly to the handle and wouldn’t let go. A bullet managed to penetrate the reinforced door, missing Rachel and hitting the wall behind her. She continued to stand firm, holding the door shut.
They tried to call for help, but no one came.
Finally, at 2:30 p.m., Eden’s father, Yaron, arrived with a force from the Yamas counter-terrorism unit, who were able to take them to safety.
Two of Rachel’s children lived in Nir Oz, Lee and Matti. They, too, survived the massacre that day, along with their families.
What Happened Since
Today, Rachel lives in Binyamina close to her daughter, Lee, and her grandchildren, all of whom survived the massacre in Nir Oz. Rachel continues sculpting and drawing.
Her brother, Itzik Elgarat, was abducted to Gaza while wounded, and his body was later returned to Israel for burial.
Alex Danzig, the father of her children, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while in captivity. His body was returned and laid to rest in the Kibbutz Nir Oz cemetery.
Her beloved dog, Billy, was found in Gaza by an IDF soldier in the Golani Brigade, and he returned her to Rachel in April 2025. Billy had been kidnapped to Gaza and had survived. She now lives happily with Rachel.
