Boris Melikhov

Jan 17, 2002 - Boris Melikhov, 56, of Sderot was one of six people killed when a terrorist burst into a bat-mitzva reception in a banquet hall in Hadera shortly before 23:00, opening fire with an M-16 assault rifle.

On Thursday night, a terrorist entered the David Palace hall on Weizmann Avenue in Hadera and began spraying the 180 guests celebrating the bat-mitzva of 12-year-old Nina Kardashova with automatic gunfire. The terrorist, who also carried grenades, was pushed outside by guests and killed by police who quickly arrived at the scene.

Boris Melikhov, Nina's uncle, attended the bat-mitzva together with his wife and his son Sergei - a soldier - who left a short time before the attack, in order to get back to his army base. "I came back to the hall and saw great tumult. I realized that there had been a terrorist attack. I tried to get back into the hall, but the police wouldn't let me. When I got to the hospital, I learned that my father had been killed in the attack", said Sergei.

The Melikhov family immigrated to Israel in 1992 from the Caucasus. Boris worked for five years in for the Jewish National Fund, and later worked in a textile factory in Sderot. He was active in the town's 3,000-member community of immigrants from the Caucasus.

Boris Melikhov was buried in Sderot. He is survived by his wife and three children.