Adi Dagan
Adi was born in June 1955 to Avraham (Buda) and Genusia Dagan, the third child after Oshri and Anat. Buda, who continued working on the harvester into old age and Genusia, the legendary “mother” of bookkeeping, were among the founders of Kibbutz Be’eri. If we had mountains, they’d be carved into the face of them like Mount Rushmore. It’s a good thing they were spared the sights of destruction in the kibbutz.
Adi was one of the three babies born that June, along with Tzafrir and Ishai. A beautiful boy, walking around barefoot on the sidewalks, in a white tank top and gym shorts with an elastic waistband or a Speedo bathing suit. He soon grew into a tall and solid boy, an athlete, a little mischievous and an excellent student. His classmates from the Kitat Tzabarall knew: he was the king. He was the smartest, the fastest, the best ping pong player during the summer vacation, the best at chess even before Yiftah David, the best at everything. He was a king who didn’t want to rule. At 16, he joined his family on a mission to Nicaragua, studying at an American school and eventually returning to Be’eri with two foreign languages, English and Spanish. His former throne was restored to him.
Adi enlisted in the IDF in 1973, after the war. He originally wanted to be a combat pilot, but became a diver instead. He served for four years in the elite naval unit Shayetet 13. In his modest way, he seemed astonished that he made it through the course. His friends in the Shayetetcalled him “Adish” (a play on words using his name, Adi, and the Hebrew word adish, which means indifferent) and described how they used to come back utterly worn out from training, but Adi would immerse himself in the newspaper. He always knew and remembered everything. During his mandatory service, his unit was involved in fighting terrorist organizations in Lebanon. In the reserves, he participated in "Operation Moses" rescuing Ethiopian Jews from Sudan. The camaraderie of the fighters from the “Frogs 13” (tzfarda’ei 13), as they called themselves, remained steadfast throughout his whole life.
At the end of his military service, he returned home for a year. He did agricultural work, and used to mock his dubious skills as a farmer. In the same year, he joined grades 11 and 12 on a trip to Sinai as a graduate chaperone. Hadas, his future wife, was also a chaperone on the trip. Although they grew up on the same kibbutz, it was only then that they really met. When he wrote to her from South America saying, "Come if you can!" Hadas did, not before receiving permission to go at a meeting of the kibbutz members. Adi and Hadas shared 43 years of marriage. They were two people who were so different yet similar, who complemented each other. They had four children: Guy, Noa, Zohar and Sa'ar.
Adi went on to study economics at Ben Gurion University. Over the years he worked in various financial positions on the kibbutz, including accounting and management, and then for twenty years as the CFO for Be’eri Print, which grew by leaps and bounds to become a leading printing service in Israel. At the same time, he remained deeply involved in the financial management of the kibbutz, participating in various ad hoc committees that were established to handle retirement funds, social benefits and much more. Adi was always cheerful, modest, conscientious and honest. He stood by his opinions even at the cost of disagreements with his colleagues, yet without losing his temper. As he got closer to retirement, he made sure of an orderly transfer of responsibilities, was careful not to cast too great a shadow, and made himself available to the company as needed.
Adi worked long hours and was not always available to play with his kids. He may not have been very expressive about his emotions, but he instilled in his children an absolute confidence in his love for them. In his implicit way, without words, he continued the legacy of Buda and Genusia: work, commitment and finding contentment in the little things.
Adi and Hadas traveled often, both in Israel and abroad. After all, they had met on a trip to Sinai, and trips were an integral part of their family life as well. They walked the Israel National Trail with friends, and when they went abroad, Adi planned each excursion meticulously. As one could see at a glance, Adi loved to eat and was a great cook.
When he retired, he reinvented himself. He learned to make cocktails and became the barman of choice at the pub on Desperate Housewives nights. He joined the Ramcafe staff behind the espresso machine and was an attentive and enthusiastic barista. He learned some magic tricks on YouTube to entertain the children. He had much more time to read up on the news, everything from current events to celebrity trivia and sports. He rooted for the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry and knew everything about them. He read and listened to people on the opposite side of the political spectrum, even Channel 14, because he believed that it was important to hear from those you disagree with.
Despite suffering from back pain, he always did his 50 lengths in the pool every day, and never missed a Friday walk with Harel (and the opportunity to continue the eternal debate of Golani vs. the Shayetet). He took up drawing, making sure to come to class once a week, and took his grandchildren with him when he decided to draw the view from the observation point overlooking the fields.
Adi’s grandchildren were the most important venture in this chapter of his life. His devoted grandfatherhood earned him a new nickname: "Sabadush.” To the amazement of his children, Sabadush discovered the pleasures of babysitting. But instead of putting the tots to sleep, he sang to them Galgalatz hits and held magic shows. Upon his retirement, he joined the "Road to Recovery" organization. Every Thursday, he and Hadas would transport Palestinian patients from Tarqumiyah Crossing and the Erez checkpoint to hospitals in Israel.
Adi was brutally murdered on Saturday, October 7, 2023. He was 68 years old.
Our Dush, our king without a crown.
Rest in peace.
