Mother: Orly Cohen
Son: Amit Cohen, aged 25 at the time of his death/murder
Family: Mother: Orly Cohen, Father: Yossi Cohen, Amit, the third child among four siblings. Born after two daughters: Adi and Shir, and after him, Omer was born. A Jerusalem family who cherished above all else the bonds and closeness of their family.
Moments of Terror: Amit went to a party with his girlfriend of the past 4 years, Norelle, along with her sister Roya and two other friends, Gal and Noa. Amit was murdered with Norelle and Roya in a mobile shelter in Re'im. Gal and Noa survived. There were 35 young men and women in the mobile shelter, trapped there in a death trap, without defense and help. Amit protected Norelle and Roya with his body, spread his arms to the sides, lowered the girls' heads, and sat crouched with terrible fear in his eyes. Apparently, he knew the end was near, that this time he couldn’t escape it.
On Saturday, October 7th, we woke up to a black morning. We still didn't understand the extent of the disaster. Amit sent a message that he left the party area because of missiles fired and they were "in a shelter" in the area. He wrote to us not to worry. His last message, at 07:46, was "It will be okay". So, we believed. But as the hours passed and we couldn't reach him, we understood that something was wrong. Amit always made sure to update us. On Sunday evening, after hours of uncertainty, countless phone calls, and checks in all hospitals, after we thought maybe Amit was kidnapped, we received a message that Amit was murdered and there was a final identification. From that moment, the entire family fell apart, and a black screen descended.
The Person Behind the Story: Amit, as his name suggests, was always surrounded by friends. His hallmark was the smile on his face. Amit loved life and loved to have fun, parties, music, and dancing. He went to the Nova party, just before returning to routine after the holidays. Amit loved to cook and really loved the sea. Amit learned to surf and never gave up surfing even when it was cold. Amit had big dreams to succeed in life! A sharp, mature, and responsible child. Goal-oriented and highly motivated. Amit worked as a real estate agent - his work colleagues said he was a charming person and expected a promising future as an agent.
During a trip to South America, Amit met the love of his life - Norelle Manzuri from Hod Hasharon. From the moment they met, until their deaths, they didn't part, rented an apartment, and wove dreams together. Amit planned to propose to her in Paris on her birthday. Norelle became "our daughter", and we all fell in love with her, a charming girl. Amit was romantic and always left love letters for Norelle. They were an inspiring couple.
My Message: My message is Amit's message - only good. Be happy, enjoy the day, accept everyone in their own way and with love.
Our Last Embrace: We saw Amit for the last time a week before the disaster. We, the parents, flew abroad for a vacation. The biggest disaster of all happened the day after we returned.
