Yarin Efraim, 24: A selfless man with a memorable wide smile
Murdered by Hamas at the Supernova music festival on October 7
Yarin Efraim, 24, from Petah Tikva, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.
Yarin, together with Eden Ohayon and Orel Abohatzaira, was managing the bar at the festival and was killed while trying to escape after helping others first. One of the wait staff who managed to escape later said Yarin saved her by telling to hide in her car.
His mother, Orli, told Channel 14 that when the attack began that morning, he didn’t tell her that he was under attack from terrorists because he didn’t want to worry her. His family searched for him until they were told on Monday, October 9, that he had been killed.
He leaves behind his parents, brother, Eliran, and sister, Sarai.
On an Instagram page set up to memorialize Yarin, Orly wrote that he was caring and always thought of others before himself.
“There were no limits to your giving and your love was endless,” she wrote, adding that he had a “smile that not one person doesn’t talk about or can forget.”
She wrote that Yarin called her and his father, Zion, every afternoon to ask them how work had been and that he was the “best uncle anyone could ask for” to his nieces and nephews.
“You were a hopeless rascal that made us all feel like life was beautiful and full of joy, happiness, laughter, and nonsense,” she wrote.
“You made my heart beat, and now it’s still, but I know you would want me to keep smiling, living, and coping. You would want me to be strong, and even though you were my strength, I promise to try.”
Yarin’s older sister, Sarai, shared her eulogy from Yarin’s funeral and wrote that he had been the perfect son who always took care of their parents and constantly made sure to help them when they needed it.
“My little brother was the gift I got for my ninth birthday, the gift of my life. I was so happy to celebrate our birthdays together for 24 years,” she said, adding that she would never be able to celebrate their shared birthday again.
She also told the Bring Them Light October 7 remembrance project that Yarin had a beautiful voice and loved to sing and play the guitar.
His girlfriend, Tehilla, wrote that Yarin had the “most beautiful smile in the world” and that he always did everything he could to make her smile.
“You told everyone that you wanted to marry me and for me to be the mother of your children. You promised that we would be together forever. Who knew that forever would be so short?” she wrote.
“I just want one more hug from you, one last kiss, a few more jokes, a little more teasing.”
Tehilla’s sister, Tiferet, thanked Yarin for giving her sister a relationship “full of warmth, respect, deep love, laughter, fun, and limitless giving.”
She added that Yarin had become a part of their family in the three years he had dated Tehilla and had been like an uncle to her kids.
Lior, a childhood friend of Yarin’s, shared a memory from kindergarten of him standing on a swing and chanting loudly “I save the girls.”
“Recently, I found out that Yarin saved people at the Supernova music festival and didn’t run away and it just made sense to me,” she wrote. “Just like in my memory, that’s what he grew up to do. From a young age, he knew that his calling was to save people.”
Many more friends contributed to the page, describing a man with a big smile with whom they could always have fun but also deep conversations.
Yarin worked for a bar services company called Dream Bar together with Eden and Orel, who were killed with him.
Many employees contributed to his Instagram page saying they were always happy to learn they would be working shifts with him and sharing stories of how he was always ready to help the staff at events he worked at no matter what.
A few weeks after October 7, Dream Bar announced a special set of cocktails in memory of Yarid, Eden, and Orel that includes each of their favorite drinks.
