Ofra Keidar, HY”D, 70, lived on Kibbutz Be’eri with her husband, Sami, daughter Yael and son Oran and his family. On Oct. 7, Ofra went for her traditional early morning walk and was believed to have been taken hostage to Gaza. On Dec. 1, the IDF announced that Ofra had been declared dead without providing further details. Her family believes she was murdered on Oct. 7. Sami, who had Parkinson’s disease, was killed in the family’s safe room. Yael, Oran and Oran’s family survived. Terrorists killed over 100 people at the kibbutz and took many hostages.

Ofra worked for 20 years at the kibbutz’s calf-rearing facility, which was later closed. She then began working at the petting zoo, where she worked until the day she was taken hostage. Her afternoons were devoted to her grandchildren.

Elad Keidar, Ofra and Sami’s son, said, “She was very close to her grandchildren… and would travel with them also outside of the kibbutz. At her age, 70, she was still working and carrying things and all the young people were inspired by her … it’s a huge loss.”