“He was supposed to come back home just a few hours later.”
For this special Israel Daily News October 7 series, Shanna Fuld sits down with Alma Levin-Friedman, a 34-year-old mother of two and PhD student from Eilat whose husband, Major Reservist Itamar Levin-Friedman, was killed fighting in Gaza.
Itamar was a teacher, a reservist, a sniper commander and a member of Lotar Eilat, an IDF counterterrorism unit. On October 7, 2023, he was among the first forces to respond in southern Israel. He spent months serving in the south before repeatedly entering Gaza.
His final mission was his seventh deployment into Gaza.
On November 11, 2024, Itamar was killed by a Hamas sniper. It was the final day of his mission. He was expected to return home to his wife and two young children just hours later.
In this deeply personal conversation, Alma shares what it was like to wake Itamar up on October 7, watch him leave their home in his uniform, and hear him say:
“This is not something small. We are at war.”
She talks about raising their children without their father, preserving his memory, rebuilding a sense of safety for her family, and carrying on the values he believed in.
The interview also features the powerful words Itamar wrote for his students about October 7 and the responsibility of reservists who leave behind their families, jobs and ordinary lives to defend Israel.
His message was ultimately about more than military service. It was a call for Israeli society to remain united, respectful and compassionate—and to be worthy of the sacrifices made by those who serve.
Alma also discusses the community of Israeli widows and orphans created by the war, her ongoing PhD studies in sociology, and the challenges of rebuilding a life while the war itself continues.
As Israel approaches another election, Alma explains what she believes Itamar would have wanted for the country: a society where people with different political views can stand together, serve together and feel that they all have a place.
This is the story of one family, but also a conversation about loss, resilience, motherhood, military service, Israeli society and what it means to keep living after October 7.
Watch, listen and remember Itamar Levin-Friedman.
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Timestamps
00:00 Meet Alma Levin-Friedman: An October 7 Widow
01:00 Alma & Itamar: A Life Together Since Their Teens
02:00 Lotar Eilat & Itamar’s Role in the IDF
03:00 Where Were They on October 7?
04:00 “This Is Not Something Small. We Are at War.”
05:00 Itamar’s Missions Into Gaza
06:00 The Father and Husband Itamar Was
07:00 Raising Two Children Without Their Father
08:00 Keeping Itamar’s Memory Alive
09:00 Itamar’s Words to His Students
10:00 “They Need Me Now” — Itamar on October 7
11:00 “Don’t Forget the Price Reservists Pay”
12:00 Itamar’s Call for a Strong, United Society
13:00 Israel’s Divisions Before October 7
14:00 How the Children Are Processing Their Loss
15:00 The Support Israel’s Widows & Orphans Receive
16:00 When a Loss Becomes a Loss for a Community
17:00 Trying to Rebuild a Life During War
18:00 Itamar’s Final Mission in Gaza
19:00 The Community of October 7 Widows & Orphans
20:00 Alma’s PhD & Building a New Life
21:00 Itamar’s Vision for a More United Israel
22:00 Remembering Itamar & His Legacy
#IsraelDailyNews #Israel #October7 #October7Widow #IDF #IsraelDefenseForces #IsraeliWidow #IsraeliFamilies #IsraelNews #Gaza #Eilat #Reservists #IsraeliSociety #ShannaFuld #IsraelPodcast #October7Stories #JewishNews #IsraelWar #NeverForget #ItamarLevinFriedman
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