Here Lived
This was the home of Rivka Ben Horin and Yossinyo Gross. Rivka arrived at the kibbutz in 1972 with her husband Amikam and their eldest daughter, Lihi. Their children Rami and Liora were born on Nir Oz. Rivka and Amikam later separated.
For many years, Rivka worked as a seamstress. She sewed costumes for children on the kibbutz and established a communal collection of costumes. She also worked as a child caregiver on the kibbutz. She was a creative and talented artist who enjoyed making beautiful creations in stained glass, knitting, embroidery, and patchwork quilting. Rivka also turned everyday objects into artwork, making mobiles from rejected household items or pinwheels for the garden of plastic bottles, adding beauty to her surroundings and to the kibbutz.
Rivka was a devoted and loving grandmother to her five grandchildren.
Rivka and Yossinyo shared a home and filled it with love and mutual respect. Yossinyo was big-hearted and always ready to help others. He was appreciated and beloved by Rivka’s family.
October 7th
Rivka and Yossinyo awoke at 6:29 a.m. to the sound of the Red Alert sirens and nearby explosions. Rivka and Lihi spoke on the phone that morning but soon understood that it was best not to talk, and they switched to texting. At 7:00 a.m., Rivka wrote to Lihi that she heard shouting in Arabic and that her house had been hit by gunfire. She understood that terrorists had infiltrated the kibbutz and reported in real time that her house was under fire. She was terrified. Lihi wrote to her mother that she loved her and asked Rivka and Yossinyo to lock the door to the house and take cover in the safe room. Rivka replied, “The door is made of paper.” The back door was indeed hit by gunfire and the terrorists easily broke into the house through the front door.
At 10:00 a.m., the terrorists broke into the house and shot and killed Yossinyo, apparently not aware that Rivka was there. Rivka told Lihi all of this as she wrote to her in a terrible emotional state. Lihi asked her mother whether there was anyone she could go to. About thirty minutes later, Rivka was murdered by the terrorists. The house was looted, the sewing machines and valuables stolen. The entire house was full of bullet holes, leaving Yossinyo and Rivka no chance of survival.
What Happened Since
Rivka and Yossinyo were found shot dead in their home.
Yossinyo was buried in Petah Tikva and later transferred for burial in Moshav Ein HaBesor alongside his father and brother. Rivka was buried on October 27, 2023 on Nir Oz. Their absence is felt every moment and we miss them dearly. May their memory be a blessing.
Here Lived Yossinyo Gross
Yossinyo Gross was born in 1948 in Haifa. His parents were Holocaust survivors from Hungary.
As a child, Yossinyo joined the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. Together with his friends, they became part of the pioneering group Garin Miran and were drafted together into the IDF Paratroopers Unit. They then moved together to live on Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Yossinyo was married three times.
With his first wife, Shifra z”l, he had two daughters, Dorit and Efrat.
He and his second wife, Rachel z”l, adopted their son Segev. Yossinyo and his third wife, Vicki z”l, had a daughter Maayan, and a son Maoz z”l. Maoz was killed in a work accident four months before Yossinyo’s murder.
Yossinyo was dedicated and much-respected. On Nir Oz he worked with the cattle, in the fields, in the garage, and as a truck driver in the Nirlat factory.
Yossinyo was a happy and cheerful person. He was good with his hands, and already as a child was always fixing things – bicycles, motors, and anything mechanical.
He was well known as a cook, inventing new recipes and always preparing family meals.
Yossinyo was a fan of Hapoel Be’er Sheva and would watch their games. He enjoyed singing and listening to Israeli music. He knew every road and every part of the country. He was a true patriot and Israel was of primary importance to him. He loved the land and its people. He loved the country and its holidays, and on Independence Day he was extremely proud to have been born in the year of Israel’s establishment.
October 7th
On Saturday, October 7, at 7:00 a.m., after the first sirens, he heard shouting in Arabic outside his window and saw bullets aimed at his front door.
Throughout the morning he spoke with his children, his sister, and a friend, telling them what was happening on the kibbutz. He did not understand the severity of the situation and he sat on his porch and walked around on the paths near his home. At around 10:00 a.m., he sent his last message to his family group, saying that he was entering the safe room. At 10:13 a.m., his daughter received a message from Yossinyo’s partner, who was with him in the safe room, “They killed your father.” Yossinyo had tried to protect her by jumping the terrorists, and they shot him at point-blank range.
Despite his efforts to save her, she too was murdered later on.
Yossinyo is survived by his five children and five grandchildren, whom he loved with all his heart and soul.
What Happened Since
In accordance with his wishes, Yossinyo was buried on Moshav Ein HaBesor alongside his father and younger brother.
He will be remembered as a father, grandfather, and hopeless optimist, brave and honest, a man who upheld the values of love for his country and caring for others, sensitive and modest, a kibbutznik to his core.
