At the cemetery in Kibbutz Be’eri on Sunday, hundreds gathered to lay to rest Sahar Baruch, whose body was returned to Israel last week after he was held hostage in Gaza. Family, friends, and members of the kibbutz accompanied him on his final journey.
Sahar was buried beside his brother, Idan Baruch, who was murdered during the October 7th massacre in Be’eri. His grandfather, Yitzhak Bachar, who also lost his wife Geula that day, recited the Kaddish prayer of the bereaved.
His mother, Tami Baruch, delivered an emotional eulogy, followed by singer Oren Barzilai, who performed “I Will Dream Forever” – a song Tami referenced in her speech. Other eulogies were given by Sahar’s aunts, Rivka Manor and Inbal Bachar; his classmates from the “Ananas” group in Be’eri; his army friend and commander Uva Mindel; his travel companion Ronen Druckman; and his cousins Maya and Shira.
In her remarks, Tami spoke both as a grieving mother and as a witness to national tragedy: “My dear Sahar, finally you have been brought home. On that terrible day in Be’eri and the Gaza Envelope, about 1,179 civilians were murdered – including our Idan and your grandmother, Geula. On that horrifying day, 251 people were abducted. Since then, over the past two years, a war has been waged to return our security and our hostages, in which about 1,152 soldiers have been killed. Now, two years later, 11 hostages still remain in captivity. Only when they all return will this terrible chapter end, and a new chapter – of trying to rebuild our lives – begin. This trauma will always be engraved in our hearts.”
Tami also shared memories of her son’s life and passions: “For far too long you were held captive, and it had already become part of your identity. Before that, you had many other identities – traveler, chess player, kayaker, Torah scholar, nerd, and more. I hoped you would have new identities – an electrical engineer, a partner, a father – but that will no longer happen. We have many memories, but not enough. I grieve that we will never create new ones.”
She concluded by recalling how Sahar used to sing the song now played at his funeral: “You parted from us here, in the land of Be’eri you loved so much. I used to sit on a rock while you and Idan rode your bikes on the red trail. Now you are close to us – to Idan, to Grandma Geula, and to so many others. The song we chose today is the one I heard you sing hundreds – maybe thousands – of times in the shower. I loved hearing you sing, and I love you always.”