Modi Amir, 67: ‘Quick thinking’ dad sacrificed himself to save family
Murdered by Hamas terrorists in his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7
Mordechai “Modi” Amir, 67, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.
When he realized that terrorists had invaded the kibbutz, he instructed his two daughters and granddaughter to hide in the shower that he had built in their reinforced room. He decided to stay in the main section of the room, knowing he was unable to lock the door, and hoping that the terrorists would believe he was there alone.
When the terrorists entered the home, they killed Modi in his safe room, his body blocking the bathroom entrance, saving the lives of the rest of his family. His daughters and granddaughter were rescued and evacuated from the kibbutz almost 24 hours later.
Modi was buried on October 18 in Tel Aviv. He is survived by his wife, Batya, their children Alon, Anat, Limor and Zohar, several grandchildren and two sisters.
His son-in-law, Yony Kozo, told Makor Rishon that Modi’s actions on October 7 “were a deliberate decision, for what was best. It cost him his life, and this is how he saved his daughters and granddaughter. Modi was a computer guy in hi-tech companies, an amateur electrician, plumber and carpenter, a man who was quick thinking and who always knew how to find the most practical solution. And that’s what he did in those moments.”
An online eulogy noted that Modi was born in Givatayim and moved to Kfar Aza with a youth settlement group at age 18. He got a degree in biology at Ben Gurion University, where he met his wife, Batya. The couple settled in Kfar Aza where they raised their family. At first he worked as an electrician in the kibbutz, later moving into the world of computers, and eventually going to work for IBM for 20 years, the eulogy said. In 2015 he started working for a startup called Resonai, where he remained until he was killed.
His daughter, Anat, wrote online that her father “loved to laugh, and was very funny. He wouldn’t tell jokes, but he would tell his stories and his struggles. He had a natural talent for it and a charisma that made him and his stories the center of every conversation.”
Anat said that her father “believed in work, and he did everything himself. Both because he was hardworking and enjoyed it, and also because he didn’t trust other professionals — who didn’t meet his high standards,” and he built most of the family home himself. “He was very smart, which was another reason he did everything himself — he had no problems researching, reading and learning what was necessary.”
Anat asked the artist Zeev (Shoshke) Engelmayer to design a plaque for his grave, which read: “Here lies Modi, the love of our lives, a man of work, smart and resourceful, a lover of people who laughed and made us laugh.”
“Modi was an optimist, loved to tell stories, and also loved ice cream. He was the national champion of incredible hugs, and he loved his children most of all.”
