JSR Portraits

 

​

Nurit Cooper, a 79-year-old woman, was kidnapped on the morning of October 7th from Kibbutz Nir Oz On October 23rd 2023, After 17 days of being held by Hamas she was released on humanitarian grounds alongside her neighbor, Yocheved   Lifshitz. Nurit was kidnapped with her husband, 84-year-old Amiram Cooper. Nurit and Amiram are two of the founding members of Kibbutz Nir 0z and have been living there for over 70 years.

​

The couple has three children and nine grandchildren. On the morning of October 7, they managed to call their family and tell them that terrorists are roaming around the kibbutz. Nurit worked for many years in the kibbutz’s daycare, and later at the kibbutz's paint factory. She has not been sharing much about her time in Gaza. She spoke publicly about it only a handful of times.

​

Nurit described how Amiram and she were kept together, that their glasses were taken from them almost immediately, and that Amiram was using whatever Arabic he knew to chat with their captors. Amiram was the one to tell her she is being released after hearing it from the guards. In June of 2024, Nurit learned of the death of Amiram at the hands of Hamas in Gaza.

​

Every time Nurit speaks publicly, she wishes to convey the message that all hostages are important and that efforts should be  made towards releasing every single person; children, women, soldiers, fathers, and elderly men, like her beloved husband.