Ofek Kimhi

Ofek Kimhi, 23, from Bat Yam, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while escaping in a car with his girlfriend, Eden Zecharya, and another friend from the Supernova desert rave on October 7.

All three were shot at in their car. Zecharya was killed first, and her body was taken to Gaza. Kimhi and the other friend, Livnat Elgazi, called emergency services. They were on the phone for a long time before the call was eventually cut off, according to a report from Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, which shared parts of the recording online less than one week after the massacre.

A relative of Elgazi told Kan that, to the best of his knowledge, she and Kimhi escaped the car and hid in the nearby shrubbery for several hours. At a certain point, he said, Kimhi left the hiding place and was killed. Elgazi was eventually rescued.

For nearly two weeks after the war broke out, Kimhi was considered missing. His body was found on October 18, and he was buried the following day in the Holon Cemetery.

He is survived by his parents, Esther and Kobi, as well as his younger brother Shalev.

Kimhi, like his parents and grandparents, was a major supporter of Hapoel Tel Aviv sports teams. He grew up going to their soccer and basketball games and was a highly active member of the fan community.

“It was his first love,” his mother said. “Hapoel is like family.”

“He always used to sing [the soccer chant] ‘Hapoel until death.’ I just didn’t think his death would be so soon,” she said.

In the army, Kimhi worked as an instructor for teenage boarding school students. When he finished, he began studying music production.

“It was his dream,” his mother said of his music career, “and he believed that this is what he would do.”

“He was a child of nature, and he loved to dance, to celebrate life.”

She told a local news outlet that his friends upheld this spirit of celebration by going to different military bases and making food for the soldiers. They made a big barbecue, wore matching memorial T-shirts, and played the music that Ofek liked to give the soldiers a bit of a party during their difficult service.

“He lit up every place he entered,” she said.”I am thankful for every minute I had by his side.”
Source: The Times of Israel