Yael Rozman, 26: Business student with ‘wit, wisdom and style’
Murdered by Hamas terrorists while fleeing the Supernova music festival on October 7
Yael Rozman, 26, from Kfar Saba, was murdered while fleeing the Supernova music festival on October 7.
She attended the rave with her boyfriend of three years, Jonathan Kendror. When the rocket fire began, they left in their car with another friend to head home. At a junction along the road, terrorists opened fire at the car and the three jumped out and split up. The friend managed to survive, but the bodies of both Yael and Jonathan were found days later.
Yael was buried in Kfar Saba on October 10. She is survived by her parents, Svetlana and Mikhail and her sister Yellena.
Yael was studying business management at the Ruppin Academic Center and also worked as a budget manager at the marketing firm TBWA/Yehoshua.
Announcing her death, the company wrote, “Yael was a brilliant budget manager who filled the office with light and taught us about true friendship.”
The couple’s friend, Gal Kakon, wrote on Facebook, “Your relationship with Joni was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I always said to myself, ‘That’s the kind of relationship I want’ — so thank you to both of you for being role models for me, you gave me so much love and moments of true joy.”
Yael’s friend and fellow student, Noam Norman, wrote on Instagram about how they met three years ago at the start of their studies, “and we looked at each other and I knew in my heart that I was blessed to meet a wonderful friend — noble, pure and one of a kind.”
She recalled being at a friend’s wedding and Yael saying, “‘I’m next in line, and you’ll be my bridesmaid, right?’ I replied, ‘Of course’ and I cried tears of happiness…. but we didn’t get to accompany you and it’s just hard to accept.”
“Thank you for leaving behind the memory of your smile and your captivating laughter, which doesn’t stop surprising me in every video or dream. Keep visiting me at night with Joni — you know how to give me strength,” added Noam.
Yael’s sister, Yellena, wrote on an Instagram memorial page: “Darling, how much light, love, joy, contagious smiles alongside so much wit, wisdom and style.”
“We were privileged to be by your side as you danced and enjoyed every opportunity and allowed yourself to be the girl that you are,” she continued. “In every place, in front of every person, you knew how to shine and to bring out your light, your honesty, your love — you felt comfortable and made everyone around you feel the same.”
Yellena added, “We could always count on you, on your truth, your words were worth so much, your smile had so much more to it than just a smile. And your embrace! Oh, your embrace. You are truly special and there is nobody else like you. We were so blessed that you were here and we are so sad that you are gone.”
