Bar Asraf, 30, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023, was found dead at Alkana Cemetery Saturday evening, at the grave of his girlfriend Liron Bardet, who was killed in the attack nearly three years earlier.
Emergency medical teams dispatched to the cemetery discovered Asraf with a gunshot wound to the chest. Paramedics initiated extended resuscitation efforts but were forced to declare him dead at the scene.
Asraf, originally from Petah Tikva and based in Tel Aviv, had been living with unrelenting grief since the massacre, when Bardet was murdered at the music festival. Rather than withdraw from her family, Asraf maintained close ties to her parents, visiting frequently and honoring her memory.
The consistency of his presence in their lives offered a kind of testimony to Bardet's worth and to the bond they had shared. Her parents knew him as someone who refused to let his loss isolate him from them.
As recently as Wednesday, Asraf attended his brother's wedding. a family celebration that suggested a path forward, a moment of normalcy in the extended aftermath of October 7. But the weight of years of unrelenting grief proved insurmountable.
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
NOTE:
If you are struggling with grief, trauma, suicidal thoughts, or the ongoing impact of October 7, please reach out:
In Israel:
- Eran Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-201 (24/7, free, confidential)
- Pikuach (Mental Health Crisis Line): 08-6464-666
- Trauma and Bereavement Support: Natal (www.natal.org.il) — specialized support for October 7 survivors and families
In the Diaspora:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.): 988 (call or text)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- International Association for Suicide Prevention: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
For October 7 Survivors Specifically:
- Ezer Mizion: Provides support networks for survivors and bereaved families
- Selah (Trauma Center): Specializes in PTSD and grief recovery
