Shachar Zemach
Shachar was a third-generation kibbutznik: the eldest son of Doron and Shlomit, grandson to Ya'akov and Carmela Zemach, veterans of Be'eri who immigrated to Israel from Baghdad, and to Hannah and Yoel Epstein, born in Germany and members of Kibbutz HaMa'apil. They were an idealistic family.
Doron spent ten years on Kibbutz Gilgal, and Shlomit spent five years on Kerem Shalom, assisting younger kibbutzim. When they met, they lived for a year on Kibbutz HaMa'apil and after a year, they decided to make their home in Be'eri. Doron worked in accounting, and Shlomit in the dental clinic, both of them active and engaged kibbutz members. Over the years, Shachar’s three brothers Yarden, Itai, Ido, and his sister Shai were born. A warm and loving family, they especially nurtured the bonds between the siblings, all of whom lived on the kibbutz. It seems that the family history greatly influenced Shachar's path in life.
Shachar was not a strong child, but he was independent and opinionated. He grew up in Naomi Mocha's "beit yeladim" (the children's house) who earned the nickname Naomi Nescafe, and from there to kindergarten and "Kitat Petel". Shachar knew how to divide his energy between his studies and his social life. He was technical-minded, loved physics, but loved hanging out with friends just as much. It was a cohesive group, full of humor and fond of pranks. Shachar had a biting and cynical sense of humor, and his quips were an integral part of the classroom atmosphere. As a teenager, he worked at the petting zoo, did milking shifts in the dairy, and loved horseback riding.
At the end of his studies, he felt the need to contribute what he could, and was accepted to Nitzana for a third-year service program. He saw himself as an instructor, a skill that was also utilized during his military service. He enlisted in pilot training, and after a few months he joined the Nahal's reconnaissance unit.
The training course was relatively long, and a special group formed that stayed in touch long after they were discharged. Shachar became a squad commander on the course, without being an officer. He added a weekly study session to the military curriculum that he delivered meticulously, on both serious and less serious topics, such as a tutorial on types of coffee. During his military service, he served in the West Bank for an extended period, where his political awareness greatly developed. He was a committed leftist, and later took part in "Breaking the Silence", voted for "Meretz", and was active in elections.
After completing his military service, Shachar returned to the kibbutz and worked at the printing house for about a year. He then began traveling. In the US, he drove an ice-cream truck; in Europe he was a security guard at a castle owned by the Safra family, and in South America he went rafting and broke his arm. When he returned from the trip, he was already focused on his studies. He completed his high-school equivalency and psychometric exams, and began his undergraduate studies in economics, politics, and government at Ben-Gurion University. Here too, he combined his social life with his studies. He lived in the Dalet quarter, organized public outdoor singalong evenings with beer, and at the same time, wrote political op-eds for different websites. While pursuing his master's degree in economics, he also wrote articles on the topic of retirement pensions, his area of expertise, and lectured at academic conferences.
During his studies he met Ofri; they moved in together in Tel Aviv, where he worked at an economic-strategic consulting firm. After a year, he began working in the Accountant General’s Office at the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem, specializing in pension funds. As usual, he was fully invested in his work and approached it seriously and professionally.
Shahar's and Ofri's wedding was held in Be'eri's "Zula", in a civil ceremony whose text Shachar and Ofri wrote together with their friends. A few months later they moved to Be'eri. Shachar continued to work in Jerusalem, while Ofri managed a branch of the Enosh Association in Kiryat Gat. About three years later, their eldest daughter Ella was born. Shachar participated in the birth and was as steadfast and protective as a bodyguard.
When Ella was a year old, Shachar accepted an offer to become CFO of the Be'eri printing house, leaving behind his promising career path in Jerusalem. He enjoyed his new role and saw himself developing in the printing business. Meanwhile, the small family moved into a larger apartment, and Shachar managed the renovation with great pleasure.
When Neta was born, Shachar was already an experienced father, and Ofri adds: "a perfect dad," talking to the children as equals. Together they would go on trips, driving in a jeep or by bike, especially to Nahal Sakhaf which passes between Be'eri and Gaza, where water flows in winter and the almond trees bloom white. Together they picked figs and strawberries, and Shachar made jam from them. He loved to run in the Negev, training for the marathon, which he completed for the first time in 2022 and intended to do again. He used to run through the fields for two to three hours, with the music he loved in his headphones - Simon & Garfunkel, Tislam, and "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen - up to the Gaza fence and back.
Shachar was a man of many friends, maintaining multiple social circles. He loved watching Liverpool or Maccabi Haifa games together, playing football in kibbutz and regional council tournaments, going out into the field and lighting bonfires, making potjiekos or simply preparing tea outdoors. He volunteered to manage the kibbutz's hiking gear storeroom, purchasing equipment and keeping precise records and close track of the items that had been loaned out. Friends say he was the ultimate combination of seriousness and light-heartedness. In the morning he'd wear a finance manager's suit, in the evening he'd light a bonfire with the kids, and once they were in bed, he'd invite his friends over for a hookah session. A serial entrepreneur: always inviting people to travel, see and do something together. He was a man who loved freedom, joy, and humor. He could quote The Big Lebowski or Catch-22 and wrote song parodies for every friend who got married.
He loved to hang out, and was the ideal partner for long sessions at good restaurants. In the Kitat Tapuach-Petel, they knew that if they played strategy games, when it was Shachar's turn, he would deliberate for so long that you could go and make a coffee in the meantime, but under other circumstances he was the quickest and most assertive.
On the night before Black Saturday, the Tapuach-Petel gang sat down to plan their third guys' trip. Shachar decided the trip would be to France, informed everyone, and as usual, fell asleep first on the chair.
The next morning, Shachar was rushed to the rapid response team. His conduct that Black Saturday typified who he always was: a leader and determined, knowing exactly what needed to be done. He arrived at the casualty collection point in the kibbutz's dental clinic and fought from there, instilling confidence in everyone who fought alongside him. He requested from the IDF to bomb near the playground in Be’eri because there were many terrorists there, but his request wasn’t approved. While fighting, he phoned Ofri and asked her to lock the house. He shouted to the terrorists in English, "I’m not your enemy." He fought until the final bullet.
Shachar loved life, loved people, was optimistic and brave, and saw every challenge in life as an opportunity. This is how we will remember him, and how we will continue telling his story to his children, Ella and Neta.
May his memory be a blessing.
