Teenager Recounts Harrowing Survival in Kibbutz Be'eri Shelter
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Hadar Becher, 13, is recounting her survival during the October 7th Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, where she managed her family's fortified room while injured. She used three phones to call for help and provided medical aid, saving her father's life, though her mother and brother perished. Three years later, she is sharing harrowing recordings from the event as her family rebuilds on the kibbutz.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hadar Becher, 13, managed her family's fortified room during the October 7th attack on Kibbutz Be'eri.
- She used three phones to call for help and provided medical aid to her injured family.
- Her mother Dana and brother Carmel were killed, but her father Avichai survived.
- Hadar is now sharing recordings from the event, which she finds difficult to view.
- The Becher family has rebuilt a new home on the kibbutz, but a new fortified room was necessary.
Hadar Becher, then 13, displayed remarkable composure during the October 7th Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, taking charge in her family's fortified room (Mamad) amidst intense fighting and a house fire. Wounded by shrapnel, she simultaneously managed three phones to call for help, tended to her injured brother Carmel, and comforted her mother Dana, ultimately saving her father Avichai's life.
For 12 hours, the family endured the onslaught as terrorists fired from outside and repeatedly set their home ablaze. Hadar, who had recently celebrated her Bat Mitzvah, directed her efforts towards survival, relaying messages and providing basic medical aid, including a tourniquet for her brother, using knowledge gained from a paramedic course. Her mother Dana and brother Carmel did not survive the massacre.
Now, three years later, Hadar is sharing recordings, messages, and videos from that day, materials she finds too difficult to watch herself. She describes acting on instinct, focusing solely on survival without dwelling on fear or her own injuries. Her father, Avichai, who fought off terrorists attempting to breach the Mamad, credits Hadar with his survival, calling her the true hero for her actions under extreme duress.
The Becher family has rebuilt a new home on the other side of the kibbutz. Despite the trauma, Hadar expressed a strong desire to remain in Be'eri, a sentiment shared by her father, who emphasized rebuilding and choosing life. However, the necessity of constructing another Mamad in their new home serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing security concerns.