‘My anchor, my world’: Victims of Tel Aviv terror attack laid to rest
The three victims of last week’s Tel Aviv terror attack were laid to rest Sunday afternoon in separate funerals.
Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, two childhood friends aged 27 and originally from Kfar Saba, were put to rest at a cemetery in the city.
Morad’s funeral started at 3:30 p.m. and was attended by hundreds of people who came to pay their final respects.
Morad’s girlfriend, Ariel, struggled to hold back her tears when speaking about him.
“[He] was my heart, my anchor, my world,” she said during his funeral. “You’re everything to me. My body is shaking, it’s weak, and my heart can’t comprehend. We’re not really separating today, we will forever be there for you. We have the greatest, purest love — no one can ever take that,” she said.
Morad’s sister, Tal, described her brother as a “walking beam of sunshine,” adding that he was “full of humor.”
Family and friends attend the funeral of Tomer Morad, who was murdered in a terror attack in Tel Aviv, at the cemetery in Kfar Saba, April 10, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
His brother, Omri, had moved to the United States a few years ago. “I’ve been looking for a picture of us and all I can find is so old,” he said. “Pictures from 10 years ago that pour salt on my wound. I missed out on you.”
Morad’s military commander said he always set an example for others.
“Tomer was a professional, always had this inner calm to him. He was a commander who soldiers wanted to follow. I promise you that your family will never be alone. You will always be a part of us,” he said.
“We had so many plans,” said a close friend of Morad. “You were always a cook and always enjoyed having people over… every conversation with you was enlightening. Thank you for a long friendship.”
Family and friends attend the funeral of Tomer Morad, who was murdered in a terror attack in Tel Aviv, at the cemetery in Kfar Saba, April 10, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
The funeral of Morad’s close friend, Magini, who was killed alongside him in Thursday’s attack, was held at the same cemetery at 4:30 p.m., following Morad’s service.
“We will forever remember you as a friend, a partner, who knew how to connect between people in an artistic way,” Magini’s father Eyal said.
“You were like a magician walking among us, you knew how to contain and respect everyone. You were a great conversationalist, a friend and an amazing partner,” he added. “It’s so sad that you were taken from Ayala, your fiancee, and from all of us at such a young age. “I promise that everyone will remember what a wonderful person you were. I will love you forever, until the day I die.”
Magini’s sister, Noa, said: “My Eytam, my big and only brother. I’m speechless, I can’t believe it. We will continue to be together forever. You always protected me and I promise to protect Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma.”
אביו של איתם מגיני, שנרצח בפיגוע בת”א, ספד לו בהלווייתו: “היית כמו קוסם, שיודע להכיל ולכבד את כולם”https://t.co/RS2I3W8N5n pic.twitter.com/oXf3TXVeY7
— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) April 10, 2022
Ido, a close friend of Magini, said he was “the glue” that kept the friends together.
Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar attended both Morad and Magini’s funerals, expressing his condolences to the families.
עידו, חברו של איתם מגיני, ספד לו: “לא רק כצורת ביטוי, אתה באמת אח שלי. היית משפחה בשבילי. לא מאמין שאתה לא פה. מרגיש כאילו אני בתוך סיוט שלא נגמר ותכף אתעורר. היית הדבק שלנו, החבר’ה בצבא. לנצח אוהב ואזכור אותך”@SivanSisay pic.twitter.com/FWUTnUWL9k
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 10, 2022
Barak Lufan, a 35-year-old father of three who was critically wounded in the Tel Aviv terror attack on Thursday night and died of his wounds the next day, was laid to rest in his hometown of Kibbutz Ginosar at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Gathering Sunday morning at a viewpoint overlooking the Sea of Galilee in the kibbutz, his widow, parents, and friends shared their grief and spoke of the unbearable loss.
“No one ever had anything bad to say about him,” his widow Dana said. “He was a good person, a person who knew how to take care of things, always worrying about others.
“Barak is my other half, my best friend. I can only wish for others the partnership I had with Barak,” she added.
“We have three adorable children,” Dana said, “Yuval, who is 5 and a half, Amit, who is 3 and a half and Dor, who’s 5 months old. Barak was waiting so long for him and always said he would be a [kayak] rower, there wasn’t another option.”
ברק לופן ז״ל ומשפחתו היפה ???????????? pic.twitter.com/NLksUGtLsP
— Sharona Mazalian (@SharonaMazalian) April 9, 2022
Lufan was a coach on Israel’s paralympic team and the head coach of the Israeli national kayak team.
Gili Lustig, secretary-general of The Olympic Committee of Israel, said the news of Lufan’s death had been “a huge sorrow,” adding that he had initially been hopeful that Lufan would survive the critical injury he had suffered.
Lustig’s mother, Behira, described her son as “a strong athlete,” but said that “as strong as he was, it wasn’t enough.”
She added that the family “will stick together, we’ll be strong. We will keep Dana safe and continue to be an open house that welcomes everyone.”
Family and friends of the late Barak Lofen speak to the press outside the home of the Lofen family, in Kibbutz Ginosar, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, on April 10, 2022. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
Lufan’s childhood friends described him as a person who excelled in everything he chose to do.
“He was the best son any parents could ask for,” said his friend Shlomi. “The best friend anyone could ask for, the best husband, the best father. He didn’t even know it. He always had that shy smile on, he never cared about diplomas and respect. He was larger than life and I never realized how much so, up until this moment.”
The shooting attack on the Ilka bar on Dizengoff Street killed three and injured over 10 other people. The terrorist, 28-year-old Jenin resident Ra’ad Hazem, fled the scene, sparking a night-long manhunt and keeping Tel Aviv on edge, with over 1,000 police and soldiers scouring the streets. Hazem was shot dead after being discovered by security forces early Friday in Jaffa.