Remembering Through Life: Memorial Sites and Projects Across Israel
Exploring meaningful memorial sites across Israel established by families in memory of October 7 victims, from cafes and vineyards to desert lookouts and walking trails.
Since October 7, Israel has been filled with memorials and remembrance sites, but alongside them, many choose to remember the victims through the places they loved. Families and friends have established unique projects and spots in their memory—places where visitors can sit, raise a glass, remember, and make room for life that continues.
Food and Coffee: Amit Cafe in Re'im
Amit Gabai loved friends, nature, and outdoor coffee. At the coffee cart bearing his name, set in the green landscape of Kibbutz Re'im, visitors can order a sandwich, pizza focaccia, or pastry and sit together. It is a simple tribute to what he loved to do. His mother, Adi, established Amit Cafe with her friend Kobi, choosing a place that invites people to meet, eat, and linger.
Amit was 17 when he moved into his own apartment in the kibbutz youth neighborhood in the summer of 2023. On the morning of October 7, he was murdered there. The mobile cafe provides an opportunity to remember Amit in a place where he would have gladly sat.
Wine and Heritage: Pauker Winery in Nir Oz
In 2006, Gideon Pauker, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, planted a small vineyard and established Nir Oz Winery with his friends. He was one of the founders of the kibbutz, a man of agriculture and public action, and wine was a personal dream he nurtured in the soil he knew.
Gideon was murdered on October 7, and after the disaster, his family returned to the vineyard to save it. From this labor and memory, Pauker Winery was born. Here, memory is bound up with daily work—vines that need care, wine that must be made, and people who come to taste.
"Visitors to the Nir Oz visitor center are offered tastings of the labor and light local refreshments, with seating areas overlooking the kibbutz fields."
Walking and Nature: Gili Hadr's Promenade in Lapid
Gili Adar loved visiting the promenade in the community of Lapid in the Modi'in region, where she was born and raised. It was a familiar corner of her life: a place to return to for a leisurely walk with friends, children, or a cup of coffee. Today, the walking path overlooking the community and the surrounding hills is named in her memory.
Gili was 24 when she was murdered at the Nova festival. She guided in the scouts, volunteered for a year of service, served as an artillery instructor, and accompanied lone soldiers. Her friends recalled how she successfully connected different circles of people in her life.
Art and Remembrance: Bibas Footprints in Ze'elim
In an old grove outside the fence of Kibbutz Ze'elim, where Yarden Bibas grew up, an installation was established in memory of Shiri and her children, Ariel and Kfir, who were kidnapped from their home in Nir Oz on October 7 and brutally murdered in captivity.
The installation, named Bibas Footprints and designed by architect Zvika Pasternak, is accessible via a concrete path leading to a circular plaza with hand and footprints embedded in concrete, surrounded by benches. The footprints are a sign recalling the movement of the body, right where movement stopped and breath was taken away.
Desert Views: Netan'el Lookout at Kedem Arava
Near the community of Kedem Arava in the northern Dead Sea, an observation point was established in memory of Captain (res.) Netan'el Silberg. His friends and family built it in a place suited to his love for nature, open space, and quiet. The lookout offers views of the Jordan River and the mountains beyond.
Netan'el was a team commander in Yahalom, and on December 18, 2023, he fell in battle in Shejaiya at the age of 33. His friends and commanders describe a modest man who led quietly and insisted on professionalism. Near the lookout, the Midura Khan offers glamping accommodations for those wishing to extend their stay in the desert.
