Holocaust Survivor Eli Kersanti Dies at 96 After Surviving Captivity and Massacre
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Eli Kersanti, who survived Egyptian captivity in the Yom Kippur War and the October 7th massacre at Kibbutz Be'eri, died at age 96. During the Be'eri attack, his daughter, son-in-law, and ex-wife were killed, but he was spared abduction to Gaza. Kersanti, a former UN liaison officer, was also a judo coach at Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha. He will be buried there on Sunday.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Eli Kersanti, a survivor of Egyptian captivity and the Be'eri massacre, died at 96.
- His daughter, son-in-law, and ex-wife were murdered in the October 7th attack.
- Kersanti was spared abduction to Gaza by terrorists at the last moment.
- He had previously been held captive in Egypt during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
- Kersanti was a judo coach at Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha.
- He will be buried at his kibbutz on Sunday afternoon.
Eli Kersanti, a man who survived both Egyptian captivity during the Yom Kippur War and the October 7th massacre at Kibbutz Be'eri, has passed away at the age of 96. Kersanti was previously taken prisoner by Egyptian forces in 1973 while serving as a liaison officer to the UN. During the October 7th attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, where his daughter, son-in-law, and ex-wife were murdered, Kersanti narrowly escaped death. He reportedly managed to de-escalate the situation with the terrorists by communicating with them and offering them water, leading them to believe he was on their side. Terrorists had planned to abduct him and his caregiver to Gaza, but at the last moment, they decided against it. Kersanti and his caregiver later escaped their burning home and survived. He passed away three years after the massacre, near the anniversary of the event. Kersanti lived for many years at Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, located in the Eshkol region like Be'eri. He was also a dedicated judo coach, training several prominent judokas who achieved international success. He will be laid to rest at his kibbutz on Sunday afternoon.