Itamar Mizrahi, a 24-year-old fashion designer from Kibbutz Re'im in the Eshkol Regional Council, recently returned to his beloved hometown and opened a studio after six years of studying and living away. But he wound up facing a murderous Hamas terrorist attack on Simchat Torah that threatened his life.
Amid the chaos, he lost his beloved grandmother, Varda Haramati, a Holocaust survivor's daughter who had called Kibbutz Re'im home since her youth.
Varda, together with her husband Amos, raised Itamar's mother Ayelet and his uncle Danny on the kibbutz. Later in life, she met Boaz Barzilai, a Nahal soldier who became her lifelong partner. Their love story spanned 50 years, ending only with her tragic demise. Varda was an adored figure on the kibbutz, known for her sociable nature and unwavering commitment to the community. She instilled in her family and others a deep love for their homeland, staying in the kibbutz through wars and trials, setting an example for generations to come.
Itamar shared, "It's hard to explain to someone who didn't grow up in a kibbutz, but we were a family. Grandma and I were the best of friends. I was close to her, talked to her about everything, and visited her daily."
The nightmare unfolds
On that fateful Saturday morning, Itamar was with a friend who had come from Berlin to visit. Suddenly, their peaceful day was shattered by booms and alarms. "At first, I wanted to show her the Iron Dome interceptions. But then, we received messages about terrorists infiltrating the area. We took refuge in an apartment with an open door, only to witness terrorists outside seizing Thai workers.
"We decided to lay low, leaving the window open, fearing they'd spot us. We found an object in the apartment, a friend's possession from India, and used it for cover. The terrorists breached the door but didn't enter. During those tense moments, I tried to reach out to my mother. I wanted to know about the safety of other family members in the kibbutz. It was then that I learned about my grandmother.
"It was clear that my grandmother was gone. The terrorists had entered her home and shot her. When I realized, I rushed to her side, staying with her until the kibbutz was finally evacuated the next day."
For a day and a half, Itamar and his friend remained trapped in an apartment, uncertain of the situation outside. The kibbutz's emergency standby squad, hailed as heroes, eventually found them. Itamar sent a message to them through a friend in India, and they were rescued and sheltered in a nearby house. They endured darkness, lack of water and food, and the haunting sounds of explosions and gunfire. It was a harrowing experience.
"We didn't allow ourselves to cry for fear of being heard. We shared a box for peeing, and survived without necessities. It was only when the kibbutz was evacuated that I realized my parents had left with my injured brother to Soroka Medical Center. I hadn't seen them yet. Most survivors from the kibbutz were relocated to Eilat, but we found refuge at a friend's family home in Hefer Valley, where we've been since."
Itamar reflected, "We try not to get overwhelmed by emotion and give each other the space to grieve. It's a challenging time, and we are all dealing with our own grief. We hear about fellow kibbutz members and regional council residents who have been killed, gone missing, or held hostage in Gaza. These are people we grew up with, people we know."
He concluded, "We will lay my grandmother to rest in our kibbutz cemetery when the time is right. Our kibbutz is our home, and there's no doubt we will return and rebuild. I have no regrets about coming back; it was always my intention. Looking back, I realize it was meant to be that I was on the kibbutz when this tragedy unfolded. We heard about our homes being vandalized, houses burned, and families murdered. Amid it all, I knew I would survive. I wrote to my parents, reassuring them, even if I disappeared for a while."
A larger-than-life woman
Itamar fondly remembers his grandmother, Varda, as a woman of exceptional wisdom and grace. He said, "She was like a movie star in both appearance and the radiance she exuded. Kind, loving, and compassionate, she was a soulmate to many, especially her grandchildren and great-granddaughter. Meeting grandma left an indelible mark, much like a warm and enduring memory. She was a resilient fighter, a lover of life, a dedicated patriot, and a world traveler. She worked at the kibbutz factory until her last day, and loved starting every morning with a bike ride, visiting friends, shopping in Netivot, and enjoying plays and movies. She epitomized the spirit of an extraordinary woman."
The Jerusalem Post and OneFamily are working together to help support the victims of the Hamas massacre and the soldiers of Israel who have been drafted to ensure that it never happens again.