Mor Cohen, 24: Talented athlete was a pioneer in Israel’s lacrosse scene
Murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7
Mor Cohen, 24, an athlete in Israel’s small but potent lacrosse scene, from Azor, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.
When the rocket fire began, Mor and his friend hurried to leave the site of the festival in their car. They made it to the junction outside Kibbutz Mefalsim when they slowed at the sight of a burning car on the side of the road. Stopping to help, they were ambushed by terrorists who opened fire, fatally wounding Mor, and injuring his friend, who managed to survive.
His family searched for him for days until his body was identified. Mor was buried in Tel Aviv. He is survived by his parents, Eli and Hana, and his younger siblings Eden Alin and Idan.
Born in Beersheba, his family moved to Ramat Gan when he was 6, later settling in Azor. His family said he was a lover of nature who enjoyed camping, and a free spirit, attending the Open Democratic School in Tel Aviv because of its flexible approach to education.
At age 14 he began playing lacrosse, as the sport was first gaining popularity in Israel, and became one of the country’s star players.
Mor “was one of our first lacrosse players, having helped start the team in Tel Aviv and our coexistence program… a remarkable young man, Mor touched the lives of everyone he encountered,” Israel Lacrosse Association said in a statement.

Mor played in 2016 for Israel’s U-19 national lacrosse team, and represented South Jersey in the 2014 Maccabiah Games.
“I remember his smile when he played and I remember all the original group of kids to pick up lacrosse in Israel. Mor was one of the pioneers of Israel Lacrosse. Mor’s life was tragically cut short senselessly by terrorists. Mor was family or ‘mishpachah.’ Our family is devastated by the loss of Mor, who just wanted to go listen to some music in the desert with his friends. Mor loved lacrosse and when I play again I’ll play for Mor and all those that can’t,” coach David Dennenberg posted on Facebook.
For the four years before his death, Mor worked for the Tatti bakery and cafe chain, working his way up to ultimately manage the storefront in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square. In a post on social media, the cafe said it was shocked by his loss: “We will always remember you, a pure angel, who loved others and loved life.”
His father, Eli, wrote in a post on Facebook that “Mor was a person with a wide heart, polite, patient, who aspired to visit vast and breathtaking destinations. He had a connection to nature, he loved to travel and to climb to high places and enjoy beautiful views. Everyone admired him and his approach to life, which was always positive, and he always acted in accordance with his motto: ‘Everything happens for a reason.'”
Mor’s sister, Eden Alin, wrote on Facebook about Mor’s sunny outlook on life and all those around him he touched.
“Mor wouldn’t just say ‘stay positive’ or ‘everything happens for a reason’ or ‘let it go,'” she wrote. “Mor had been applying this for years, Mor made it into a way of life, there was nothing that could break him. There was nothing he didn’t believe, there was no moment that he spoke to himself badly, there wasn’t a second where he judged on first impressions, he always saw something good in everything bad.”
Eden Alin added that “Mor was such a mature, old soul, with wisdom that truly none of us quite understood. I feel him smiling, and nodding, because I’m right. He succeeded, he understood the meaning of life before all of us and his mission here on earth was completed. His soul didn’t need to keep going.”