Gil Boyum

Gil was born 55 years ago in Kibbutz Mesilot in the Beit She'an Valley, second son to Nathan and Tamar, after Yaron. He was followed by sister Shiri.

In April 1973, when Gil was five, the Boyum family was involved in a serious car accident. Nathan was killed. Later, Tamar met Ephraim, a member of Kibbutz Be’eri, and the family moved to the kibbutz. There, Gil's half-brother, Lior, was born. Be’eri became Gil's home, where he later married his wife and where he raised his own wonderful family: his life’s achievement.

Gil, a member of the “Hadar” cohort (Kibbutz Be’eri’s 21st cohort), did not like to study; his passion was the fields. From the age of 16, he was involved in cultivating field crops, cotton, wheat and potatoes. He spent long hours alone on the tractor, just him, the sky in his eyes and music in his ears. Music was one of Gil’s great loves. In his youth he was a DJ in the kibbutz pub.

He served in the Armored Corps in the army. After his discharge, he flew with Shai Davidi, a kibbutz friend, to spend time some time in Thailand. After returning to Israel, he began working in field crop cultivation and was later promoted to operations manager. Gil was a man of the land and the fields – yet his hands were always clean and neat.

In 1997, Gil met Ayelet, from Sderot who was at the time living in Tel Aviv. Ayelet's father, the late Shimon Revivo, who worked in Be’eri, planned it all and hit the nail on the head. That year, Ayelet's parents, Shimon and Simcha, insisted on inviting half the kibbutz to the Mimouna (a celebratory dinner on the night following the 7 days of Passover) event at their home. There, Shimon introduced the two young people to each other. Gil's shy smile and huge blue eyes attracted Ayelet. A month later they were already a “couple.” They talked on the phone from the moment they woke up until they bid each other good night. Ayelet soon moved back to Sderot and then joined Gil in Be’eri. They married in June 1999. The henna ceremony was held in Sderot, and the wedding took place around the kibbutz pool. Many of the guests jumped into the water in their clothes.

And the joy had just begun. Ayelet and Gil wanted a large family. Their eldest son, Inbar, another victim of October 7, was born in 2000. Fatherhood was seventh heaven for Gil. He adored taking Inbar for rides on the tractor. Omer was born on Shavuot 2003. Anog was born in 2005 and Adi in 2007.

Gil was a warm, devoted father. The Boyum family's living room overflowed with games, laughter and joy. Gil would carry the children on his back like a horse. They would cuddle closely together. His love for them was all-encompassing. Gil was also very devoted to his mother and mother-in-law. Ayelet's mother always said that she had gained another son. When Ayelet's father passed away 15 years ago, her brothers looked up to Gil as the paternal figure.

In 2005, Gil retired from field crops and joined the Be’eri Printing Press. It took this man, who since boyhood had loved quiet fields and open spaces, some time to get used to working long hours under a roof in a factory and amidst machines, but Gil soon became an integral part of the business. He began on the shop floor and worked his way up to managing the Max credit card production site at Be’eri Press. Gil was loved by all the workers, both those from in and outside the kibbutz. He was a thoughtful and professional "boss." A man of peace. He never raised his voice, and for the most part, a man of few words. But when he had to say something, he said it. And when he did, everyone listened.

Gil loved to travel in Israel and all over the world with Ayelet and his family. Ayelet would dream, and Gil would fulfill her dreams. This is how they ended up on a family caravan trip to Portugal. Gil and Ayelet also dreamed of buying a small house facing the sea in Cyprus when they retired. As music lovers, their home was filled with music, and they attended many concerts when traveling. Gil also enjoyed collecting gadgets, and he was also obsessed with the news. He always had to be aware of all the current information. Upon his release from reserve duty, Gil joined Kibbutz Be’eri’s security patrol.

Gil was happy during the last week of his life. The family enjoyed a lot of time together, and during the intermediate days of Sukkot, he took the entire family to visit his father's grave at Kibbutz Mesilot. Upon their return, he said to Ayelet: "I’ve fulfilled my role. I did what I was meant to do."

Early in the morning of October 7, 2023, Gil was ready and waiting for his weekly bike ride with his regular group of cyclist friends – his brother-in-law Ilan Weiss and his friend Gal Shremek. At 6:13, Ilan messaged that he was foregoing that day’s ride, so Gil went back to sleep. At 6:30, he, Ayelet and Adi moved into their safe room. At ten to seven he was ordered to join the security patrol. Ayelet begged him not to go, but he said he had to. He got on his bike and set out to defend the kibbutz, the house he loved so much. At 7:35 a.m., he was shot and died of his wounds. At the same moment, his son, Inbar, was murdered elsewhere.

Gil – "Gili" to his mother, "Gilgul" to his friends, "Mami" to Ayelet, "Abush" to Anog, and "Daddy" to his three sons – spoke little but loved with all his heart. He had a big, enveloping and confident hug. He was a generous and loving spouse and father. Every night, until his very last, he told Ayelet that he loved her. Gil is gone, Gil's embrace is gone.

May his memory be a blessing.