Eitan Hadad, 43: Talented bass player who ‘was all heart’
Killed battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7
Eitan Hadad, 43, was killed on October 7 while battling a Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be’eri.
He is survived by his father, Meir, and his siblings, Dafna and Asaf. He was predeceased by his mother, Na’ama. He was buried on October 24 at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
A member of the kibbutz’s local security team, he was retroactively recognized as a fallen soldier with the rank of sergeant major in reserves. His friends and family said he battled terrorists at the local medical clinic in the kibbutz for hours until he was killed.
Eitan, a lifelong member of the kibbutz, was a bass player who performed with several musicians and groups, including the Israeli-Brazilian singer Elisete, and also worked in the Be’eri printing house as a senior sales executive.
His friend Einav Amzallag told the Kan public broadcaster that “Eitan fought with heroism for the home and the community he loved so much until he was killed. Eitan was a friend who was all heart, funny, witty, full of love for people and for life itself. He loved the stage and the entire world of music, he was a talented bass player who played with a number of different arrangements.”
His lifelong friend, Avner Kelmer, wrote on Facebook about their decades of friendship and experiences together.
“Anytime I would come to produce a musical evening at the kibbutz I knew I would have you there as my anchor, the grooviest bassist, who despite not choosing it as a profession was the most professional, played with love and protected all of us,” wrote Kelmer.
“And I am just a drop in the ocean of love that surrounded you from so many circles — from matkot [beach paddle ball], to the print house, sports, musicians, the army, family and certainly so many more because it was impossible not to love you… You protected our home Be’eri with bravery… beloved hero.”
The singer Elisete told Ma’ariv, “Eitan, who accompanied me for more than a decade, was part of my musical family and always contributed to the atmosphere as a happy person, whose motto in life was ‘Don’t worry, be happy.’ I would always call him my ‘dancing bass player,’ because he was always in motion.”
Elisete recorded a song in his memory, titled “It’s Hard to Say Goodbye,” which she released in both Hebrew and English.
“You left without saying goodbye/ The love for you will never die/ You live in our memories/ A hope is all that I need,” she sings. “It’s so hard to say goodbye/ Sometimes I just cry and cry.”
