Born only minutes apart, German-Israeli twins Ziv and Gali Berman had spent their entire lives close together despite having different personalities and interests. The pair were both abducted from Kfar Aza’s young generation neighborhood on October 7, 2023, where terrorists butchered 11 of the 37 residents and abducted seven.
Despite knowing that terrorists were rampaging through southern Israel, Gali left his saferoom armed with only a kitchen knife to join Emily Damari, his friend and neighbor, who was alone. After sending his mother a quick photo with Damari, who was released in the last hostage-ceasefire deal, the pair were kidnapped.
Not long after his brother’s abduction, terrorists set fire to Ziv’s home, forcing him to flee from his saferoom and into the hands of his kidnappers.
More than 60 residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza’s residents were murdered by terrorists that day. The Berman family told international media that they were attending multiple funerals a day, awaiting any sort of confirmation on the twins’ status. They would learn over a week after the massacre that the pair were taken alive to Gaza, their older brother told the Guardian the month after the abduction, while describing his relief at knowing they were still alive.
The pair were confirmed alive in February, though survivor testimonies indicate that Ziv and Gali were separated in captivity. Keith Siegel confirmed the pair "suffer every minute" and "were separated in captivity and injured."
Before their abduction, who were Gali and Ziv Berman?
Before being taken, the pair had worked together as lighting technicians, their brother told The Sunday Times. They scheduled their shifts around their father’s care as he suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.
Their mother, Talia, told Ynet that Gali was known for him “charm that melts hearts,” curiosity, determination and ability to fix anything.
Ziv, the oldest of the twins, “loves the high life” and has a passion for shopping which he supported with a busy work schedule. “He’s not a wasteful child, but he knows how to enjoy life and has style. He always works, takes every possible shift, comes home at dawn, and leaves again in the morning, but he enjoys it,” she said.
Beyond his love of retail, she explained that Ziv had an inner peace and a reputation as a prankster.
Despite their wildly different personalities, the twins and their two other brothers bonded over their love of the Liverpool soccer club and hip-hop, particularly Kanye West, their brother told the Guardian.