10/07/2026
I want to tell you about Edna Malkamo, who was murdered on October 7.
Edna was born and raised in a village in Ethiopia.
Edna was part of the generation that finally fulfilled that dream.
She immigrated to Israel with her family during Operation Solomon. After generations of exile and longing for Jerusalem, she made it to Israel and built her life here.
She married Moshe, became a mother of three, and dedicated her life to caring for others. She worked as a caregiver at the ADI NegevโNahalat Eran rehabilitation village and also ran a small hair salon from her home.
Her family remembers her as a gentle, kind and giving woman. She loved helping others, rarely said no to anyone, was careful not to speak badly about people, and was quick to forgive.
Most of all, she loved her family.
Then October 7 came.
That morning, Edna was finishing her night shift when the sirens began.
At 6:45 a.m., she called home to make sure that her husband and their three children were in the safe room.
Moshe asked her to stay at work until things calmed down.
But Edna wanted to come home.
She wanted to be with her family.
As she drove through Ofakim on her way home, she encountered Hamas terrorists who had entered the city.
They shot her.
Edna Malkamo was murdered on her way home to her husband and children.
For eight agonizing days, her family did not know what had happened to her. They even feared that she had been kidnapped to Gaza.
Eight days later, they received the devastating news that Edna had been murdered.
There is something especially painful about her story.
Edna fulfilled the dream of her ancestors to live in this land, to build a home here and to raise a family here.
But I don't want Edna's story to end with the way she was murdered.
I want us to remember the way she lived.
A mother.
A wife.
A woman who loved bringing her family together.
A woman who gave to others, forgave easily and chose kindness.
Her husband, Moshe, said that if Edna could leave us with a message, she would ask us not to be sad. She would want us to hold on to life, rather than sadness.
And if he could ask one thing in her name, it would be this:
That we love one another.
Today, I am sharing the story of Edna Malkamo in honor of her memory and for the elevation of her soul.
May we remember not only how she was murdered, but how she lived, who she loved, and everything she left behind.
May Edna Malkamo's memory be a blessing. ๐ฏ๏ธ
