{"id":170598,"date":"2025-02-12T14:25:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T12:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nli.org.il\/?p=170598"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:35:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T10:35:28","slug":"lovers-garden-nir-oz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blognli2026.moonsite.co.il\/en\/lovers-garden-nir-oz\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to the Thorny Lovers\u2019 Garden of Kibbutz Nir Oz?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“The more cactus spines they grow, the happier they become\u2026”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These words appear in a news article from 1976, describing a loving couple – Oded and Yocheved (Yochkeh) Lifshitz, of Kibbutz Nir Oz. The article<\/a>, written in Hebrew by Moshe Naim and published in Al HaMishmar<\/em>, is dedicated to the couple’s beautiful yet prickly endeavor. Yochkeh herself provided the photos for the piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oded was raised in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. As a young man, he moved south to Nir Oz, just a mile and a half from the Gaza border, with a Nahal settlement group. The IDF’s Nahal program<\/a> at the time combined military service with agriculture and community building. Oded’s father, a Polish native, lost his entire family in the Holocaust, and his son was determined to preserve the family name as a connection to his heritage. Oded’s mother was a distinguished educator who helped found a number of schools and greatly influenced him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yocheved came from the town of Rishon LeZion, the second daughter of Polish immigrants. During the 1940s, her family frequently hosted Holocaust survivors and newly-arrived Jewish immigrants in their home. In third grade, she joined the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement where a young instructor from Kibbutz Nirim offered to change her name to Yochkeh\u2014\u201cand ever since, that\u2019s been my name,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During high school, Yochkeh had a few relationships, but the last and most meaningful was with Oded, \u201cwho patiently waited an entire year for me to part ways with my previous boyfriend.\u201d They married in 1958 when she was 20.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05da
Yocheved Lifshitz, from the book This Same Love<\/em><\/a>: A Tribute to the Veterans of Nir Oz on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary<\/em> [Hebrew] by Hayuta Zilberman, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05da
Oded Lifshitz during reserve military service, from the book This Same Love<\/a>: A Tribute to the Veterans of Nir Oz on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary<\/em> by Hayuta Zilberman, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Lifshitz couple\u2019s extensive garden began with some plants donated by Oded\u2019s sister, who grew them at their home in Haifa. When he moved south to settle the Negev region, he brought a few potted plants with him. In the kibbutz, he met Yochkeh, and together they fell in love, built a home, and raised four children. For over 60 years, they nurtured their love for each other, their family, and the flourishing garden they created. Like the cacti they grew, Oded and Yocheved were toughened by years of arduous labor in the southern heat, but on the inside, they were soft and warm toward their own community and loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, Oded planted the cacti he had brought from Haifa and later grew more of them on the grounds of the newly established Nahal outpost at Nir Oz. Two years after meeting, the couple married, and Yochkeh became a full partner in his prickly passion. \u201cIt developed randomly,\u201d Oded shared. \u201cGradually. I never planned to grow cacti for 60 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what maintaining such an impressive garden requires, Oded replied, \u201cDiligence and perseverance.\u201d Maintenance included pruning and weeding. \u201cThere are times when you invest less, like in winter, but it\u2019s crucial not to let things deteriorate,\u201d he explained in Al HaMishmar<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\u05e4\u05e0\u05d8\u05e1\u05d9\u05d4
A Thorny Fantasy<\/strong> (Al HaMishmar<\/a><\/em>, March 5, 1976). The article by Moshe Naim, preserved in the National Library of Israel\u2019s Historical Jewish Press Collection.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Tending such a thorny garden was not without risk. \u201cOnce, during a routine walk, I stumbled and, unfortunately, landed right on a particularly spiky cactus. It left me a keepsake\u2014a thorn that pierced through my finger and came out the other side,\u201d Oded recounted. In his attempts to remove it, the thorn broke, forcing him to visit the hospital, where surgeons extracted the stubborn thorn that had reached the bone, much to their amazement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yochkeh, meticulous in her descriptions, noted that their garden housed hundreds of cacti, succulents, and euphorbias, sprawling over more than a dunam (over 900 square meters). It became a true gem. The couple also incorporated \u201cstones and pillars from the Byzantine period, commonly found in the kibbutz fields, adding a special touch to the garden,\u201d as the article describes. Their shared passion for these resilient plants led to rapid growth and beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\u05de\u05ea\u05d5\u05da
The meticulously maintained garden, from This Same Love<\/a>: A Tribute to the Veterans of Nir Oz on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary<\/em> by Hayuta Zilberman, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A crucial figure in their garden\u2019s early days was Ran Pauker,<\/a> then head of landscaping for the kibbutz. He installed an efficient and structured irrigation system for them. Speaking with us, Pauker recalled that when the Lifshitz family had to relocate within the kibbutz, they ensured their new home remained close to their beloved cacti \u2014 \u201cso they wouldn\u2019t have to move all the plants. It had become an attraction.\u201d Over the years, the garden grew into a remarkable landmark, drawing visitors from near and far. \u201cBut you wouldn\u2019t want to live in it,\u201d Pauker added with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oded and Yochkeh raised three sons and a daughter together, with nature being a major part of their lives\u2014not only through their magnificent garden but also the many hiking trips they took across the country, always camping outdoors, in tents. Yochkeh recalled that her most memorable experience was a trip abroad to Alaska.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once their children had grown up and left home, they focused on their love for each other: \u201cNow that the children have left, it\u2019s just the two of us. I prepare a hot meal for Oded and myself when he returns from work. There\u2019s nothing left but to take care of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 7, 2023, in the brutal attack on Nir Oz, both Oded and Yocheved were kidnapped from their home, which was set ablaze. Yocheved Lifshitz was released after two and a half weeks in captivity, but 84-year-old Oded remains in Hamas\u2019 hands. As of this writing, nearly 500 days have passed, and there is grave concern for his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What survived that terrible day is their magnificent cactus garden, a testament to their shared love. Today, their children, grandchildren, and volunteers help maintain it as part of the kibbutz\u2019s landscaping efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In honor of Tu B’Shvat and Valentine\u2019s Day, let this be an opportunity to renew the call for the swift release of all the hostages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

This journalistic gem from nearly 50 years ago was brought to our attention by our dedicated reader, Yossi Pikarek. It is preserved, along with other Israeli and Diaspora newspapers, in the National Library of Israel\u2019s Historical Jewish Press Collection.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also relied on the book This Same Love<\/a>: A Tribute to the Veterans of Nir Oz on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary<\/em> [Hebrew] and a video courtesy of the Eshkol Regional Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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