Corporal Lior Levy

Daughter of Rachel and Ofir
Sister of Eden (24 years old), Gilad (11 years old) and Omri (7 years old)
The granddaughter of Miriam and Jacob Mandil (may they live long and prosper), and Tzippora and Menashe Levy ZL

Lior was born in Beersheba and grew up and attended school in Dimona. She is the second daughter among four children.
Lior attened Yitzhak Sade Elementary School, Darcha Lehman Junior High and Darcha Zinman High School in Dimona. She is a graduate of the school’s Chemistry and Biology Program, which she completed cum laude.

Lior had been an MDA volunteer for five years since the age of 14. MDA became her second home and an integral part of her life. She volunteered regularly in her free time, including her time off in the Army, and was deeply commited to her volunteer work. Saving lives and helping others were always a core value of hers. Her biggest dream was to become a surgeon.

Lior joined the IDF on December 27, 2022. She completed her boot camp at the Ramla Home Front Command Base, and then immediately proceeded to enroll in an Operations Sergeant [Sambatz] Course. After completing that course, she was then posted at Orim Base, where she served at the Operations Room for 10 months.

Her IDF commanders and friends say that, from the moment she joined the Operations Room, she became a lighthouse that never stopped shining. Her kind heart informed everything she did, and her desire to contribute was an integral part of her personality. Her shy and glowing smile is remembered by all of her army friends.
Lior loves spending her free time at the Operations Room playing backgammon, painting and drawing.

"Lior was at Orim Base on the morning of October 7, 2023, after she had decided not to take sick leave. She preferred to accept shifts with her OR teammates and to spend the holiday with them.

At 6:30 AM on Saturday morning, Lior was awakened by the sound of sirens. She immediately ran to the Operations Room to report the incident.
During her stay at the Operations Room, it was finally understood that the sector was warming up, and that the soldiers were expected to go through a long shift. Lior volunteered to help her friend bring equipment from the barracks, which would be used by soldiers at the Operations Room. The two headed to the barracks, and, upon arriving there, another siren went off. They went inside the nearest shelter, which they shared with six other soldiers. Sirens, gunfire and explosions could be heard outside. The soldiers thought that a rocket had hit their base. However, the powerful explosions actually originated from a device that was used to break into the base. About 10 terrorists then penetrated the base and began firing in every direction.

At that stage the soldiers decided to leave their shelter and run to the Operations Room, which was the safest and most protected location on the base. The on-duty officer inside the shelter had previously called a soldier, who is staying alone in another shelter, and told him to run to the Operations Room. The soldier said that he could hear Arabic, and he was afraid to go to the Operations Room alone. Perceiving his distress, Lior volunteered to help that soldier. She headed in his direction while the group of soldiers that had been with her inside the shelter started running towards the Operations Room. On the way there, Lior encountered a group of seven terrorists. They shot her down when she was only a few meters away from the soldier.

This is how Lior died – a hero in life and death. At the most horrifying moment of her life, she was trying to help another soldier, whom she refused to leave behind.

"Lior had an exceptional and unique personality. Her family described it as follows:

“She was an enchanting girl that put everyone under her spell. She was an outstanding student, full of charisma, intelligence, kindness, compassion, and empathy, all qualities that make the world a better place. She was a conscientious and pure-hearted young woman – full of life, love, and kindness. As her name indicates, she spread light (or) wherever she went. Lior had a valiant soul. She always saw the best in people, always took care of others, and was always willing to help, contribute and give to others. She was a teacher to us all, and her deeds continue to be an inspiration to all of us. Her guidance and altruism will continue to inform our every act. Her light will shine in us forever.

Lior distinguished herself in everything she touched. She always sought to learn and aspired to be the best. She was incredibly friendly girl who was loved by all. She was always there for her friends, and helped them with their studies and personal challenges. Lior always put others first. She supported her friends without judgment and loved them unconditionally. One could not ignore her joy and contagious laughter. She saw the good in everything, and was a once-in-a-lifetime friend.

She was every parent’s dream. She made everyone proud, and served as a brilliant role model. She was caring, determined, dedicated, loving, and doting. She was the first to help others, a girl whose short life presented her with many goals and purposes, and whose dream was to achieve them all, but everything was destroyed in a single moment."

Lior loved spending time with her friends and family, enjoyed going to the beach with them, watching movies, spending time in nature and having picnics, going to restaurants and traveling in Israel and abroad.
Lior was a gifted cook and baker. Her favorite meal (which she used to make) was pasta in rose sauce. It was an absolutely delicious pasta dish. Every time she was on her base, Lior made her favorite biscuit cake for her friends. Lior’s recipes can be found on the “Recipes in Memoriam” website. Her family invites readers to use these recipes and share these commemorative contents with their family members.
Lior was very enthusiastic about make-up and personal care products. She habitually watched videos about make up and personal care products, and had an assortment of personal care and makeup products. She used to skillfully put make up on her friends, her sister, and her mother (and style their hair) before every event or celebration.

After Lior’s death, the Mayor of Dimona, Benny Biton, issues the following announcement:
Dimona bows its head. Corporal Lior Levy was murdered by evil terrorists during the attack on Orim Base, where she had served. Her family, friends and acquaintances say that she was a humble idealist who was loved by all. Lior was determined and ambitious, and an outstanding student. She volunteered for MDA throughout her high school days, and continued to volunteer during her military service. Lior served as a Deputy Operations Officer on Orim Base, Gaza Sector (Home Front Command), and dreamed of becoming an officer. Dimona grieves her loss and extends its deepest sympathies to her family.

Lior’s family created an Instagram page in her memory, remember_lior_levy

and a Facebook page, Remember Lior Levy.

Since her death, Lior’s family and friends have commemorated her in many ways so that her light will never fade. This included volunteer work at hospitals, and particularly on holidays. Family members gave out packages with fruit and candy to injured patients at Sheba Hospital. On Hanukkah, they distributed sufganiyot (Hannukah jelly doughnuts) and candles at Ichilov and Soroka hospitals; on Purim they handed out gift packages and first aid kits together with three schoolchildren in Dimona, and on Passover they distributed copies of the Haggadah. The schools and family also devoted a “Month of Giving” and “Day of Good Deeds” in Lior’s memory.

The family hosted an event in Lior’s memory at the Dimona Cultural Center, during which her life story was presented to 600 attendees.

The song “I Don’t Think about Tomorrow” by Yael Teger was written and composed in Lior’s memory. Yael, Tamir Khitman and Eden (Lior’s older sister) wrote this song based on her eulogies and stories. The song can be found on social media.

MDA also contributed to Lior’s commemoration. The Volunteers Room at Dimona Station are dedicated to her memory, as are the volunteers’ classrooms. The station’s volunteer team is now known as the “Lior Team.” Samaritan's Purse has also donated an ambulance in her memory, and it serves the Dimona MDA Station.