Be'eri Workshop of Oct. 7 Victim Yonat Or Destroyed by Fire

By שבע דרום

Translated & summarized from Walla by baba

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Hebrew · 2 newsrooms covering

The "Iyona" furniture workshop in Kibbutz Be'eri, established by murdered designer Yonat Or, was completely destroyed by a fire. The blaze was determined to have started from production processes. The workshop had continued to operate after Or's death on October 7, aiming to preserve her legacy. A local activist described the fire as a "terrible feeling" and a blow to efforts to immortalize Or and her family.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

The "Iyona" workshop in Kibbutz Be'eri, founded by murdered designer Yonat Or, was completely destroyed by fire.
An investigation concluded the fire originated from production processes within the workshop.
The workshop continued to produce furniture designed by Or after her murder on October 7.
Yonat Or was murdered in the Be'eri massacre, while her husband was killed in captivity and their children were held hostage.
A local activist called the fire a "terrible feeling" and a setback for preserving Or's legacy.

The "Iyona" workshop in Kibbutz Be'eri, which continued to produce furniture designed by Yonat Or, who was murdered on October 7, has been completely destroyed by fire. An investigation by the Israel Fire and Rescue Services determined that the blaze originated from production processes within the workshop.

The workshop was established by Yonat Or, a designer who turned her passion for wood and furniture restoration into a livelihood. The business name, "Iyona," was a nickname given to her by her father, Hanan Bashorai, a veteran carpenter and co-founder of the workshop. Yonat began by restoring old furniture at her home in Be'eri, eventually developing it into an independent business.

On October 7, 2023, Yonat was murdered in the Be'eri massacre. Her husband, Dror Or, was abducted to Gaza and murdered in captivity, while their children, Noam and Alma, were also abducted and later returned to Israel after 50 days.

Following the tragedy, the workshop's operations ceased. However, an effort was made to continue Yonat's legacy by resuming the production of her furniture designs. Haim Yellin, a public figure and activist from Be'eri, expressed the profound pain caused by the fire, stating, "The feeling is terrible. This was a store that immortalized Yonat." He recalled a request from Dan Design in Bnei Brak to market the workshop's products, which was founded by Yonat's father, and lamented the destruction, saying, "It breaks the heart to see this because we want something to continue and immortalize the people, Yonat and the family."