Ravid was born on July 28, 1972, in Nir Oz, the son of Yardena and Moshe Katz, and the brother of Michal and the half-brother of Lior and Doron. He was the father of Shachar, Shira and Alma Yasmin, and the husband of Revital Yanai.
On October 7, 2023, during the terrorist attack on Nir Oz, Ravid fought alongside the kibbutz’s emergency response team and fell in battle while defending his family and community.
Over his life, Ravid built two homes – the first with Hila, with whom he had Shachar and Shira, and the second with Revital, with whom he had Alma. These homes were filled with love, warmth, laughter and closeness. He was a devoted father – playful, funny, and fully present. He cooked and baked with his children, hiked with them and nurtured in them a sense of curiosity and a love of the land.
Shachar and Shira will always remember their father as a guide, a partner and a friend. Little Alma, who was only four and a half months old on that terrible day, will come to know him through photographs, stories and videos.
Ravid was a dedicated, values-driven and charismatic educator who devoted many years to working with at-risk youth. He believed in equal opportunity for everyone, spoke to people as equals and had a remarkable ability to touch people’s hearts.
His students recalled: “He believed in us at a time when we did not believe in ourselves.” Thanks to him, many completed high school, enlisted and served in meaningful military roles or pursued paths of social engagement.
Ravid lived by his values: love of people, love of the land, modesty, unconditional giving, inclusiveness, equality and mutual responsibility. He knew how to instill these values in everyone he met.
Nature was an inseparable part of his life. Ravid loved hiking, sleeping outdoors and teaching his children and students to view the world with curiosity, respect and appreciation. Shachar and Shira often said that their father taught them to love the land through their feet.
After Ravid was killed, a living legacy program, Derech Ravid (“Ravid’s Way”), was established in his memory. The program trains young people in educational work in kibbutzim in the Negev and the Galilee, inspired by the values that guided his life – responsibility, community, caring and personal involvement.
Many of the stories told about him were not about achievements or positions he held, but about small acts of kindness: a conversation that encouraged a student, helping a friend in distress or his ability to truly listen to people. These were the things that left a lasting impression on so many.
People remember Ravid not for what he did but for who he was to them. Few legacies can be more beautiful than that.
Ravid, you created a warm, united and supportive family. Revital, a courageous mother, said from the very first day: “My daughter will grow up in a happy home.” And so Shachar, Shira, Alma, Revital and Hila became one family, carrying both light and longing. A family that will continue on your path, beloved father.
Ravid was the beating heart and anchor of the family – always smiling, always offering a kind word, and always ready to lend a helping hand. Our memories of him will be part of our lives every day. His warmth and love are etched in our hearts forever.
Ravid is survived by his parents, his wife, his sisters and his three young children – Shachar, 12, Shira, 9 and baby Alma, just four and a half months old.
He was 51 years old when he fell.
May Ravid’s memory be a blessing.
