Arie Zalmanowicz
85 years old
Kibbutz Nir Oz / Gaza captivity
Arie “Zalman” Zalmanowicz, 85, was one of the pioneers who helped establish Kibbutz Nir Oz. Agriculture became his life’s mission, and despite having no formal degree in the field, his curiosity and expertise helped advance wheat cultivation in the Negev. His son remembered him as a modest, playful pioneer and farmer with a profound connection to the land, earth and sky.
Kidnapped alive on October 7 and died in captivity; body returned October 2025