Gadi Haggai, 73, a retired chef and jazz musician, was a father of four and grandfather of seven. A musician at heart, a gifted flutist, he was involved with music his whole life,
Gadi was born with a flute in his mouth in 1950, in Kibbutz Ein Ha'Shofet. He was educated in the kibbutz culture of Hashomer Hatzair and enlisted in the Shaked Patrol, where he encountered the bitter taste of the battlefield. Gadi realized that wars and violence are light years away from his calling, he ran away from the patrol base, and became the first flutist in the IDF orchestra. He then spent several years in the USA and when Gadi returned to the kibbutz, he fell in love with the wonderful American-Canadian volunteer, Judi Weinstein. Judi only needed to hear him play once to know they were meant for each other. They founded a jazz orchestra "Jazz Union", and they promised each other a life around music, art and freedom. When Gadi realized that he would not be able to support his family as a jazz player, he studied cooking in Tadmor. He worked as a chef in a hotel in Tel Aviv, but the never-ending working hours left too little time to spend with his family. Gadi excitedly jumped at the offer to be the chef of Kibbutz Nir Oz and his family moved with him to the magical kibbutz with great joy. It was exactly as he imagined. Gadi and Judi complement each other. He is silly, just like a little child, who always dances and laughs, while Judi worked for years as an English teacher and in recent years also introduced mindfulness into the curriculum, to help children and teenagers cope with the anxieties following the security situation in the Gaza Strip. Gadi roasted his own coffee beans, preparing the most delicious coffee each morning.
On October 7 Judi and Gadi were taking their daily walk in the fields outside Kibbutz Nir Oz. At 6:30 they laid face down in the fields and tried to shelter from the hundreds of rockets being fired from Gaza. It was later discovered that Judi spoke to MDA and described that terrorists on motorcycles had passed by and shot and killed Gadi. The terrorists returned and murdered Judi as well. Hamas kidnapped their bodies to Gaza, where they are still today. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren who miss them very much.
The information on this page is part of the 'Yizkor' commemoration project by the Ministry of Defense / the 'La'ad' website by the National Insurance Institute, in memory of the fallen. We strive for accuracy and apologize for any errors. For corrections or comments, please contact us here: https://aaciremembers.org/contact-us/ *
The correct name of Gadi’s kibbutz is Ein Ha’Shofet