Who is amiram cooper, one of the founders of Kibbutz nir oz was killed in Hamas exile?
One of the founders of Kibbutz NIR OZ, Amiram Cooper, was a poet born in Haifa before the establishment of the modern state of Israel. His bodies were returned to Gaza.
The remains of the murdered returnee Amamiram Cooper were identified in a forensic examination, after he returned from Gaza to Israel for burial more than 2 years.
Cooper was confirmed as killed in exile, announced along with the deaths of Haim Peri, Yoram Metzger, and Nadav Poppelwell. After the bodies of Peri and Metzger were found on the line by IDF soldiers, Israeli officials said the State believed they were shot dead by their captors in mid-February 2024.
Cooper, who was 84 at the time of his death, was one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
He is survived by his wife, Nurit, aged 79, three children, and nine grandchildren. His wife was held captive in Gaza for 17 days before being released on October 23, 2023.
Amiram Cooper, One of the founders of Kibbutz NIR OZ. (Credit: Fair Use Under Israeli Copyright Law, Article 27a, Wikipedia)
Cooper was born in Haifa in 1938, before the establishment of today’s regime, to parents who fled Poland. According to his daughter, he would share memories from when he was ten years old, hearing David Ben-Gurion announce the state of Israel on the radio.
He attended Kadoorie Agricultural High School in the lower Galilee before coming to NIR OZ in 1957 as one of the founders of the Kibbutz. He served as the Chief Resident Economist for the Ma’or Region Sekoke for many years.
Cooper also composed songs and poems for over 60 years. He has written three books of poetry and one children’s book. One of Cooper’s songs was “shiboli paz” or “golden stems.” This song, recorded for the 5th anniversary of Kibbutz 5th, will be the anthem of NIR OZ celebrations for years to come.
At the Memorial ceremony held by the Kibbutz he founded, his daughter Ravit shared some touching words.
“You left Kibbutz Nir Oz, which you built with your friends. You left your creation – countless poems and such unique music. You left the family you built – and your grandchildren,” he wrote. “You left your values and wrote for us, and for many people – friends, colleagues, some artists – who knew and loved you and loved you.”
“He was a believer in the Kibbutz values of equality, sharing, and hard work,” said Ravit, a man on the phone, a worldly Father. You are never angry. “
Her poems can be viewed on the website, Shira Ovedet, at this link.
Kibbutz NIR OZ remembers Amiram Cooper
“Amiram Cooper, one of the founders of Kibbutz NIR OZ, saw the development of the West Nevev region as his life’s work,” said the kibbutz’s statement. “Amiram was a prolific poet and composer of three poems, and his poems were performed by the Hagiva’tron, the Kibbutz Artintet Choir, and the Gilboa Quintet,” they detailed.
The Kibbutz also noted the role of Copper in community management: “In this way of his poetry, Amiram was an economic expert who worked as a community and control manager in the communities of Maon for more than 24 years.”
