Judy Weinstein-Haggai
70 years old
Kibbutz Nir Oz. Presumed abducted on October 7 together with her husband Haggai
Judy Weinstein-Haggai, 70, of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was a retired English teacher, poet, puppeteer and longtime peace advocate. Born in upstate New York and raised in Canada, she moved to Israel as a young adult and spent decades teaching, including working with children with special needs and using mindfulness to help children cope with rocket-fire anxiety. On October 7, Judy and her husband, Gad, were on their regular morning walk outside Nir Oz when Hamas terrorists attacked and shot them. Both were killed, and their bodies were taken to Gaza and later recovered in June 2025.
Judy Weinstein-Haggai, 70, of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Presumed abducted on October 7 together with her husband Haggai, it was learned that she was killed in the Hamas attack and her body abducted to Gaza. Her family was notified of her death and abduction on December 28. Her body and the body of her husband Gad Haggai were recovered in a joint IDF - Israel Security Agency (ISA) operation and returned overnight (4-5 June 2025) to Israel.