Ofer Udi, 41: Truck driver and dad who ‘really doted on his kids’
Murdered by Hamas terrorists while fleeing the Supernova music festival on October 7
Ofer Udi, 41, from Beit Shemesh, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7.
He attended the rave with his close friend, Hanan Amar, and when the rocket fire began, they left via car, but soon encountered gunfire. Hanan and Ofer turned around and stopped along the way to seek safety in a roadside bomb shelter not far from Kibbutz Re’im.
There they were both slain when Hamas terrorists attacked those huddled inside with gunfire and grenades. After three days of searching, Ofer’s family was informed that his body had been found and identified.
He was buried on October 10 in Beit Shemesh. He is survived by his daughter Mor, 6, son Lavi Yehuda, 4, his parents, Sarah and Motti, and his siblings, Maya and Yoni.
Born in Jerusalem, the middle child, Ofer grew up in Beit Shemesh, attending religious schools in the city. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the IDF, first positioned in the Nahal Haredi Battalion, but later requesting a move, ultimately serving as a cook on the Ramon Air Force Base.
After his release, Ofer spent 9 months touring around India, which included several months based around the Chabad House helping them prepare for Passover. The experience brought him closer to religion, and though he wasn’t strictly observant, he identified with the Breslov sect, including spending Rosh Hashana in Uman, Ukraine, every year for 14 years.
He underwent professional training in crane operation, truck driving and heavy lifting, and worked in the field ever since, including buying his own semi-trailer truck in 2019 to set up his own business. He married and had two children — in 2017 and 2019 — before divorcing. In his spare time, he loved jeep rides and offroad biking as well as listening to a wide range of music.
“I miss Ofer, his laugh, his presence,” his mother, Sara, told a local news site. “His kids miss him so much. They were the loves of his life. He was a very devoted father and made sure they were never lacking anything.”
Sara said Mor and Lavi “really miss him, that’s their father and his loss is very felt. It’s not easy at all. Ofer had many aspirations and he had started to achieve them. This was just the beginning, he set out on his own business-wise, worked really hard, earned a good living, he was a man of generosity and kindness,” she added, saying how many stories they heard during the shiva mourning period about people he had helped, “and he never told us any of it. He did it quietly and secretly.”
His sister, Maya, told the site, “Ofer is missed at every moment. Fridays are hard — Ofer would make kiddush at my parents’ house and was the most dominant figure at home. He was always at the barbecue… Ofer was an incredible father and really doted on his kids.”
