Tomer Starosta, 23: World traveler who sang and wrote music

Tomer Starosta, 23, from Holon, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.

He attended the rave with his close friend from the army, Almog Meir Jan. When the rocket fire started, Tomer spoke to his mother and assured her that everything was OK. An hour later, he told her that he and Almog were going to head home via car. Shortly after 8:30 a.m., she called him again, and he said, “I can’t speak, I’m in the middle of a terrorist attack,” and that he was hiding in the bushes.

Hamas terrorists had fired RPGs and gunfire toward them as they were leaving the festival parking lot, blowing up the car next to them and damaging theirs. Tomer, Almog and two women they were giving a ride to — Hodaya and Tair David — fled the vehicle and went to hide in the bushes.

Tomer, Hodaya and Tair were all murdered. Almog was kidnapped to Gaza, and rescued by IDF troops in a daring midday operation on June 8, 2024. Only after Almog returned home, did he find out that Tomer had been slain that day.

Tomer’s family was not informed that he had been killed until nine days after his murder. He was buried in Holon on October 17. He is survived by his parents, Orly and Samuel, his two younger brothers, Orel, 11, and Itay, 10, and his stepfather, Itzik.

He was born and raised in Holon, attending local schools. After graduating, he enlisted in the IDF, serving as an Iron Dome operator in the Israeli Air Defense Command. Following his release, Tomer started working as a furniture assemblyman for IKEA, according to a municipal eulogy.

He was a caring big brother to his two younger siblings and a devoted grandson to his grandparents, making sure to visit often, his family said. He loved the sea and fishing, and loved music, singing all the time and even writing his own songs. He was a devoted fan of the Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer team.

In the past year of his life, he traveled extensively, visiting Thailand with his father, attending a bachelor party in Romania and vacationing in the Sinai with friends.

His father, Samuel, told Ynet that Tomer “was a wonderful kid, loving and talented. He loved sports, drawing, music, singing. He was a very multi-faceted kid, social, he had friends from around the country. Everything was ahead of him.”

Samuel said Tomer had plans to study, get a degree, “but he said to me, ‘Dad, before that I want to live a little — to enjoy, to party, to travel, to see the world.’… he was my only child. He was my reason for living. Everything I did was for him and thinking of his future.”

Tomer’s mother, Orly, told Channel 12 news that he had been working for IKEA for the past year, and moved back to Holon six months before he was killed.

“He wanted to start studies, he really loved to sing, he was a very happy boy,” she said. “He really loved festivals, this wasn’t his first festival. He loved to party and loved life. This is what comforts me — he really knew how to make the most of life.”

Orly said at Tomer’s funeral, “There were thousands of people. From the army and friends. I saw there what a beloved guy he was. His friends said he was a kid with joy for life, with a huge heart. Whenever anybody needed anything he was the first to volunteer. We never saw him angry or moody, and he was always happy. Even when he’d see us downtrodden and unhappy — he’d always make sure to lift morale. He was a good boy, a handsome guy. That’s all we have left — memories.”

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