IDF recovers remains of Canadian Judih Weinstein Haggai and Gadi Haggai killed on Oct. 7

by Phyllis Cranmer

(JTA) – The Israeli army has recovered the bodies of two more hostages from Gaza, a married couple, who were slain on Oct. 7, 2023.

Canadian Judih Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gadi Haggai were on their regular morning walk on their kibbutz, Nir Oz, when terrorists attacked on Oct. 7. More than a quarter of their community of 400 was slain or taken as hostages to Gaza.

Weinstein Haggai made an emergency call after the couple was ambushed but no one was able to reach them. Their children saw footage of their father’s body being dragged into Gaza. The Haggais’ deaths were confirmed based on Israeli intelligence in December 2023.

Haggai, 72 at the time of his death, was a chef and musician whose flute playing helped woo his wife when she volunteered on the kibbutz in the 1970s. Weinstein Haggai, who was 70, was born in New York and raised in Toronto before moving to Israel as a young adult, where she wrote poetry and taught English. The couple had four children and seven grandchildren.

“We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back,” their family said in a statement on Thursday.

The retrieval, which Israeli officials said took place in an operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet security service based on information secured in interrogations, brings the number of hostages in Gaza to 56, of whom 20 are thought to be alive.

In response to the news, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated, “On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a terrorist entity, launched the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Approximately one thousand two hundred innocent people were murdered. Young revelers with their whole lives ahead of them were slaughtered. Communities were burnt to the ground. Among the countless victims of this attack were seven Canadians, including Judih Weinstein.

“Today, after over a year and a half, Ms. Weinstein’s remains have finally been returned to Israel. Ms. Weinstein was a mother, grandmother, teacher, and mentor, who dedicated her life to guiding others with empathy, charity, and humanity. As the family grieves the unimaginable loss of both Ms. Weinstein and her husband, Gadi Haggai, who was murdered in that same horrific attack, the return of their remains is a time to begin to heal and to rest. We mourn with her family. May her memory be a blessing.

“Since October 7, Jewish communities have faced a reprehensible resurgence of antisemitism. It has to stop. We cannot look away from the power of antisemitism and its radicalization – we must confront it, denounce it, and act to keep Jewish Canadians safe.  The government is fighting the horrifying rise in hate, protecting our communities, and working with our allies to promote long-term peace and security in the Middle East – including calling for Hamas to lay down its arms, release all remaining hostages immediately, and have no role in the future of a Palestinian state.”

Noah Shack, Interim President, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs stated: “For 608 days, Canada’s Jewish community – and our allies – have woken each morning hoping today would be the day our hostages come home. Today, we learned that the body of Judih Weinstein Haggai, a fellow Canadian, and her husband Gadi have been recovered from Gaza.

“Judih embodied the very best of Canada and Israel. An educator for children with special needs and a passionate peacebuilder, she dedicated her life to coexistence – teaching meditation to both Palestinian and Israeli children. She didn’t just believe in peace; she lived it. Yet on October 7, while on their morning walk in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Judith and Gadi were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists. Their bodies then taken to Gaza.

“Our hearts are with their children, grandchildren, and loved ones – who fought tirelessly for their return, from Parliament Hill to the public square. But our hearts won’t be whole until all 56 hostages still held in Gaza are brought home.”

With files from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Government of Canada.