Haim Zohar

Haim Zohar was born in Teheran (Iran) on November 29, 1950 to Victoria and Shmuel, the third of seven children. When Haim was seven years old, the family immigrated to Israel. At first, they settled in Hatzor Haglilit, and after a short time they moved to Kfar Saba. Victoria worked as a cook in Meir Hospital, Shmuel for the municipality, and the whole family faced the hardships of absorption, language acquisition and, most of all, the quest for belonging, which was crucial in Haim’s life and a success due to his sociable character, sense of humor and kindheartedness.

When he was fifteen years old, Haim came to Kibbutz Be’eri as Yeled Hutz (a child from a family not from the kibbutz), and here he found his home. The Aluma group, to which he belonged together with other boys and girls who came to the kibbutz without family, became his family. An everlasting bond was forged between the young people. Their lives were bound together and they shared a common language, formative experiences, and most of all the same thing Haim was looking for: belonging. The boys and girls learned and worked together, while they became acquainted with the different branches of the kibbutz, under the supervision of Weksler, their teacher.

In the army, Haim served with the paratroopers. He fought in the War of Attrition and on the southern front in the Yom Kippur War. He didn’t talk much about his experiences in the war, and as soon as the war ended, he devoted himself to his work in the kibbutz. About his beginnings he told in the simple and casual way that characterized him, with a little smile: ‘One day I saw Motke Manor on a moped and I said to him: “Let me ride a bit.” Motke said: “Only on condition that you work as a plumber.” I have a weakness for mopeds, and so I ended up working as a plumber for two years before I moved to printing.’

He followed the growth of the printing house with pride, and saw how it became a source of comfort and economic security for the members of the kibbutz. During the time that the Israeli pound was replaced by the shekel the printing machines worked almost 24 hours a day, and Haim with them, around the clock. Haim held different positions, until he found his niche as the driver of the printing house. Every day he got up at five and drove to many places all over the country to deliver the goods. The baguette with pastrami that he ate between his rides made his day, he used to say. He stayed patient and friendly even under stress, and it was evident that he took pride in the printing house even when he answered angry customers, simply and straightforwardly: our printing house may sometimes make mistakes, but other printers make more. Sometimes, after he had finished his tasks, he collected his daughter Nitzan from the army base and on their way home they listened together to ‘Magic Moments’ on the radio and sang Elvis Presley and Paul Anka. On other occasions he visited his mother in Kfar Saba.

When he was 31 years old, he attended a meeting for singles in the Argaman Hotel in Acre, where he met Erga, a member of Kibbutz Dalia. During this first meeting, Erga noticed that Haim was nice and relaxed, and she was impressed by the way he talked, by his pleasant attitude and his tenderness. She still remembers how he laughed and told stories, and how she noticed that people liked to be in his company. Their relationship started with talks on the telephone, and later on was deepened by meetings in person – when Haim, being the driver of the Kibbutz Movement, stopped by to visit her in Kibbutz Dalia, or she traveled by bus to visit him in Be’eri. When Haim asked for her hand, Erga accepted. After their honeymoon trip across the United States the young couple settled in Dalia in order to be close to Erga’s family, and there their first daughter Adi was born. For a while, the family moved back and forth between the two kibbutzim, but in the end they settled in Be’eri, where Nitzan and Dan were born. Haim, who longed for his comrades, for the way of life and most of all for the feeling of home in Be’eri, was happy that his children would grow up in this home, which he had earned through work and love.

Although he had left his parental home at an early age, Haim had learned to cook the dishes of his mother and he prepared for Erga and the children salads of chopped vegetables, Persian rice and gondi. (As far as cleaning and tidying up after cooking he was far less proficient.) On Saturday evenings, when the dining room was closed, the family used to have dinner together around a table full of dishes that Haim had prepared. On other evenings Haim sat around the table with his friends Itzik, Udi, Meni, Jako and Calderon, reminiscing, telling each other stories that they had heard and told already dozens of times, and laughing over and over again. Over the years, the group of friends expanded, including the families that each of their children had started, and they spent their vacations together, in tents on the beach. Haim liked to watch the news while munching sunflower seeds, black ones, white ones, and actually anything one could munch. He loved crosswords, chess and Trivial Pursuit.

One could rely on Haim. He always took care of kibbutz members who were having trouble and supported people who needed his help. He paid special attention to elderly people, whom he visited often. He listened to their stories and shared with them what was going on. The members describe him as a tender person in a big body, who lent an ear to others and inspired his surroundings with patience and gentle manners.

Haim was a warm and embracing father, tender and generous, who supported and cared and made sure their children would lack nothing. In the mornings he always woke them up in peace and quiet, which also meant a little wink towards Erga, who was always in a hurry and was keen not to be late. So, he always went from Adi to Nitzan and from Nitzan to Dan, and woke them up by rubbing their feet, transferring through his hands his gentleness and calm. Haim waited impatiently to become a grandfather and managed to enjoy it, but only for a short time, mainly with his firstborn grandchild Yonatan, followed by Yuval, Daniel and Libi.

In the past few years Haim suffered from dementia. Erga cared for him with love and dedication, together with the caregivers Sigi, Sugi and Fernando. Erga didn’t try to hide the malady and insisted on holding on to life as much as possible. Even when Haim could barely speak anymore, his eyes showed that he understood, was alert and remembered.

Haim was murdered in the morning of October 7, in the kibbutz where he had found his home. In the same terrible morning his best friends Meni and Itzik were murdered as well. Sugi, who had cared for Haim the past few months, is still missing.

Haim left behind his wife Erga; his children Adi, Nitzan and Dan; and his grandchildren Yonatan, Yuval, Daniel and Libi.

He was 72 years old at his death.

May his memory be blessed