Yair Mordechai

Oct 7, 2001 - Yair Mordechai, 43, of Kibbutz Sheluhot was killed when a Palestinian suicide terrorist detonated a large bomb strapped to his body near the entrance of the kibbutz in the Beit She'an Valley.

Yair Mordechai, who was apparently driving into Kibbutz Sheluhot at around 8:15 A.M., had stopped alongside the terrorist and appeared to be questioning him when the explosion occurred. Both Yair and the terrorist were killed instantly.

Mordechai, a kibbutz member, had worked for several years as manager of a nearby regional factory for processing dates. He came to Kibbutz Sheluhot 20 years ago from Kiryat Shmona because of his love for one of the kibbutz members. They married and had four children, but later were divorced. Several years ago, he married a second time to a judge at the magistrate's court in Beit-She'an, Ira Mordechai. The couple had a daughter who is now two years old.

Yair Mordechai was laid to rest at the Kibbutz Shluhot cemetery. Thousands of relatives and friends attended the funeral. "Thank you Yair. You saved the whole kibbutz. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been alert," were the words of goodbye to Yair.