Oded Lifshitz, taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and killed in captivity, was laid to rest at the kibbutz on Tuesday.
He was accompanied on his final journey by family, friends, kibbutz members, dignitaries, Israeli leaders, and hundreds of Israelis who lined the roads along the path to the funeral.
Family members of those still held hostage and freed captives also came to the funeral to pay their respects to Oded and his family.
Many of those present broke down in tears as they celebrated Oded's life.
"Oded, my dear, it is strange and inconceivable that I am standing in front of a crowd eulogizing you. The stage was always yours, and I was by your side," his wife, Yocheved, said.
"You wrote skillfully, and I was your personal photographer," she added.
Yocheved added that she and Oded had together built a next generation to be proud of, adding that she sees Oded in their children, grandchildren, and grandchildren.
Yocheved said that Oded's death had shaken her, saying that the two had fought for peace and justice their whole lives and now taken a blow from the people on the other side they tried to help.
She added that the damage to Nir Oz from when it was abandoned on October 7 stunned her.
She stressed that there are people still held in captivity and insisted that it is the country's obligation to bring them back, adding that she feels no despair and will continue to fight for the hostages.
There is a piano in the apartment she lives in now, waiting for Oded, she added, saying that reality is hitting her in the face.
"Go in peace, my dear Oded," she said, "we will meet when it is time."
President Isaac Herzog addressed the mourners
President Isaac Herzog spoke at the funeral, apologizing in the name of the state.
"As president and in the name of the state, I say to Oded, Yocheved, and the family, we are sorry. We are sorry the state of Israel did not defend you and your family."
"We are sorry that you were forced to stand alone against human monsters; we are sorry that we were unable to save you."
He also apologized to the entire Kibbutz Nir Oz community.
He also called for an official state inquiry committee to be founded, saying that Israelis deserve answers and for their voices to be heard in the wake of October 7.
The president committed himself to continuing the fight for the hostages until every single one has been brought back.
Oded's oldest son, Arnon also spoke, saying to his father, "you came back in a [hostage] deal, and it is clear to me you would not have agreed that anyone risked themselves for your body."
He added that Oded would have been moved to see the valiant fight for the hostages and for him, led by his wife Yocheved, who has become an inspiration and source of comfort to all.
Oded would "not say the word revenge," Arnon stressed, adding that he never heard that word leave his father's mouth.
He said that it is Israel's leadership's "obligation and privilege" to pay the price needed to bring the rest of the hostages home, adding that the family is not asking but demanding that they do this.
Oded's son Omri spoke, emphasizing that his father believed in peace and that he believes in peace and will continue to fight for it.
Oded's daughter Sharon read words her father had said about his fight for peace, in which he said, "all my life I, have participated in struggles for peace including forbidden meetings with PLO leadership."
These fights came with personal prices, which Oded did not regret but instead felt satisfaction and pride paying, she added.
Sharon also shared that Oded had said he belonged to Beit Hillel, always focused on the commandments defining the relationship between man and his peer and depending on the adage "don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you."
"Dad, let your memory be peace and love."
Oded's sister also spoke, recounting stories of growing up with a loving and indulgent brother who always took her along with him on adventures.
She said that she spoke with Oded the morning of October 7 and that he told her that there had been massive shelling and that he could hear Arabic and gunshots on the kibbutz.
"He was not afraid; he said the IDF would be there soon," she added.
A member of Oded's garin (core group that founded the kibbutz) who had come to Nir Oz with Oded from Haifa, highlighted that of the four members of the garin from Haifa, only he survived the October 7 massacre, the other three taken hostage and murdered.
He had hoped that Oded would come back alive from captivity so that they would at least be two, lamenting that he "was left alone."
The ambassadors of Poland, Germany, and the UK to Israel also spoke at the funeral, offering their condolences.