Two years.
That’s how long it has been since Hamas’ invasion of Israel.
One year ago, the Jewish community was distraught, and still stunned by the events of Oct. 7, 2023.
This second anniversary in the US did not arrive with the same volume of public heartbreak as one year ago.
That is, of course, unless a family member was lost in the massacre.
Ohad Lapidot and his wife, Sarit, mourn the loss of their daughter, Tiferet, constantly. Tiferet was murdered on Oct. 7.
The pain for Ohad and Sarit never subsides.
Their therapy is talking about who they call “the light of their life,” who was killed two days before her 23rd birthday.
“It feels like some kind of awful movie that I witness day after day with no other alternative but to be part of it,” says Ohad from his home in Harish in northern Israel.
“I remember again and think about it over and over again.
“But it’s very important to me that the people know about this unique soul and about her contribution to the world.
“Our relationship with her was to give her the ability to speak about everything, to be honest,” says Ohad. “She was my daughter, but at the same time, she was my best friend. Although as parents, we must protect our children, and not always share with them all our fears or all our thoughts. But it was very natural to tell her the truth and the whole truth, always.”
A reference to “second anniversary” brings a twinge.
“I keep asking myself, ‘is the pain is going to be the same?’ Ohad says. “Is there going to be some kind of relief? Am I going to get used to the idea that she is not with us anymore? We are trying to get used to the absence, that she is not with us anymore.
“It’s very tough, I must admit.”
Ohad, a lawyer, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, before emigrating to Israel. Tiferet Lapidot was one of six killed on Oct. 7 who was a Canadian national.
Before Tiferet’s body was found, Ohad and Sarit assumed Tiferet was in Hamas captivity. Ohad said that at first the Canadian government was tepid about providing assistance.
“We tried to appeal to the Canadian government because I’m a Canadian citizen, hoping that maybe they would try to negotiate with Hamas.
“My brother (who lives in Calgary) told them that I’m a Canadian citizen and Tiferet is my daughter.
“In the beginning they didn’t even want to hear about that.”
So, Ohad did what did anyone else would have in this day and age. He turned to social media, appearing on a Canadian podcast called “The Never Again Live Show.”
The attention to Tiferet in her father’s homeland was immense.
“I was so surprised from the reaction by the Jewish community in Canada. It was like a flood. All of a sudden I’ve got dozens of calls and text messages asking how they can help, saying, ‘How can we change the attitude of the Canadian government?’
“I felt a great hug from the whole community.”
That included the Canadian government.
“I got a call from a member of parliament who wanted to know about the situation. Then, when the foreign minister came to Israel, she asked to meet with our family.”
As it turned out, Tiferet’s body was found a few days after the massacre, on Israeli soil. She was not a hostage, the family was told.
Working in conjunction with the advocacy group OneFamilyFundUS, Lapidot shares the loss of his daughter with any who listens.
It warms Ohad and Sarit that a few people have named their daughters Tiferet, who worked with at risk kids in Israel.
“We have heard about a number of newborn children that have been named Tiferet,” says Ohad, “and that she influenced a lot of people who were inspired by her story.”
Quite a tribute.
“She had the ability and the happiness to gather the whole family together, to laugh about things,” Ohad says.
“She was a living spirit at every event in our family. We still feel she is with us.
“We are just trying to understand about how to rebuild our family again.”
© IJN 2025
