Adir Mesika, 23: Charged at terrorists to save girlfriend and friends

Adir Mesika, 23, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.

He is survived by his parents, Alon and Sheerie, and his siblings, Liran, Uri and Libi.

His aunt, Morielle Lotan, told Fox News that Adir, his girlfriend and his best friends were at the Supernova desert rave asleep on Saturday morning, October 7, when the rocket attack began. They ran to their car and began driving but headed to a field shelter when the rockets continued to fall.

Adir was in touch with his younger brother that morning, letting him know that Hamas terrorists were shooting at them.

“He told them he didn’t think he would make it and that he loved them very much,” said Lotan.

As Adir, his girlfriend Yuli, and his friends Ilay Nachman and Matan Ekstein hid in the field shelter with others, they heard terrorists approaching. Matan was killed and Ilay and Adir ran out to try and stop the terrorists. They were both killed, and their three other friends in the shelter were saved.

“Adir and his best friend wanted to make sure that the terrorists didn’t come in and kill everyone,” said his aunt, Morielle Lotan.

The three friends remained in the field shelter for another six hours, while Adir’s death was confirmed only on Tuesday, three days later.

Adir was born in New York, his parents told Kan radio. The family later moved back to Israel and their town of Even Yehuda where Adir and his siblings were raised.

In an interview with Reshet Bet radio, the Mesikas described a boy who loved his dogs and loved to surf. After he finished serving in the army in the Yahalom unit, he took a post-army trip and when he returned, “you saw that he could see his life in front of him,” said Sheerie Mesika.

He had fallen in love with his girlfriend Yuli — “a huge gift,” said Adir’s mother — and he had also discovered a passion for jewelry design and silversmithing, following his father, Alon.

“His feet were always on the ground, and he knew what he wanted,” she said.

“We’re hurt, we’re crying and miss him every moment,” said Alon Mesika, “but we’ve decided to continue our lives and be happy and remember him always.”

The three best friends were memorialized in November at the Netanya surf club where they often scaled the waves, and Alon Mesika is continuing the line of jewelry that his son was designing when he was killed.

Alon Mesika is also donating engagement rings for soldiers who are getting married during this period, as a testament to his son who won’t have his own family but in recognition that life is powerful and larger than their own tragedy.

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