Those we have lost

Itai Houston Hadar, 27: Made a new friend every day

Killed at open-air Psyduck festival, located near the Gaza border, October 7

By ToI Staff 22 October 2023, 4:42 pm Edit

Itai Houston Hadar, 27, from Holon in an undated image. (courtesy)

Itai Houston Hadar, 27, was murdered by Hamas at the Psyduck music festival near the Gaza border on October 7.

Hadar had a motto: “Every day you make a friend,” and that’s how the Beersheba-based musician lived.

Hadar, who, as a self-professed space cadet legally added Houston to his name, faced challenges growing up, including financial hardship. These experiences spurred him to found “Tzinorot Shel Shefa” (Pipelines of Plenty), an organization connecting donors to charitable targets.

On Fridays, Hadar stocked a free-food fridge with produce collected at the Beersheba market. Hadar grew up in Holon and was a familiar figure in Israel’s rollerblading scene.

When Hadar was reported missing, many of his friends joined the search. His body was found on October 11 in the area of the open-air Psyduck festival, located near the Gaza border between Kibbutz Nirim and Kibbutz Nir Oz, which he attended with his girlfriend, Zlata Kosovsky, who was also murdered.

Hadar’s funeral at the Holon Cemetery on October 15 was marked by music and dancing – the kind of colorful event his friends and family were certain he would have wanted.