Famous Kibbutz Woodshop Destroyed in Fire, Linked to October 7 Victims

A fire completely destroyed the "Iyona" woodworking shop in Kibbutz Be'eri on Monday night. An investigation by the Fire and Rescue Services determined that carpentry work caused the blaze. The workshop was founded in 2009 by the late Yonatan Orr, who began by restoring old furniture out of a passion for the craft.

Both Yonatan Orr and her husband, Dror Orr, were murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th attack on Kibbutz Be'eri. Dror Orr was also initially abducted to the Gaza Strip. The workshop, like the entire kibbutz, was closed after the attack and later reopened as a symbol of resilience, not merely as a memorial.

Five firefighting teams from Netivot, along with a volunteer unit from Kibbutz Be'eri's own fire department, responded to the initial call. Firefighters gained control of the blaze overnight. Searches of the site found no trapped individuals and reported no injuries.

The article also recounts the events of October 7th at the Orr family home, where Yonatan and Dror, along with their children Noam and Alma, hid in a safe room as their house burned. The parents managed to save their children by passing them out a window before attempting to escape themselves, but they were captured and killed by terrorists. Their children, Noam and Alma, were held captive in Gaza for 50 days before their release in the November 2023 hostage exchange.

Dana Orr, Dror Orr's sister, expressed hope for the workshop's rebuilding. "What's important to me now is to see that everyone is on it, that we're processing and starting again," she said. "This place for us is more than a workshop, it's a life's work, and it's going to be rebuilt."