Ofek Ravia, 23: Partygoer who had ‘the soul of a little kid’
Murdered at the Supernova music festival on October 7
Ofek Ravia, 23, from the Beit Aryeh settlement, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.
He attended the rave along with his two childhood best friends, Gal Danguri and Nadav Bartal.
His mother, Liat, told Channel 13 news that when she realized what was going on, she tried to call Ofek but he didn’t answer. He sent her a message that he couldn’t talk, that they were hiding amid the gunfire, and that his car had been stolen — and he sent his location.
He wrote: “Know that I love you guys if I don’t survive this,” she recounted.
Gal’s mother and Nadav’s father headed down to the site where the three were last known to be hiding, while the gunfight against the Hamas invaders was still ongoing. There they discovered the bodies of the three friends and collected them for burial.
Ofek was buried on October 8 in Beit Aryeh alongside his two best friends. He is survived by his mother, Liat, stepfather Oren and his siblings Dvir, Tohar, Shahar and Shiraz. He was predeceased by his father, Amnon.
The three friends were practically inseparable and had taken a long trip to South America together not long before they were slain at the festival. The trio had matching tattoos of hand symbols, and several of their friends were tattooed with similar symbols as a tribute.
As a child, Ofek played soccer with Maccabi Shoham and was active in his local scouts group. His friends described him being “a bashful child with the soul of a little kid, [doing] everything with a smile, with laughter and with a sense of togetherness.”
Marking 30 days since he was killed, his maternal grandparents Rachel and Yosef wrote online that they “cannot come to terms with the loss and refuse to believe that you are no longer with us. Not a day goes by without thoughts and longing and sadness, how was your life cut short at just 23 years old? We will remember you with your unique smile and the beautiful years we had together with all the family. The enormous loss without you will stay in our hearts forever.”
His mother, Liat, wrote online in the name of the family about “our beloved Ofeki, a pure child with a heart of gold. Handsome with a huge soul and a captivating smile! An enormous hole has been opened in our hearts and we still cannot comprehend… Thank you for 23 years of happiness in your company and what you were for all of us! You’ll stay in our hearts forever!”