06/10/2026
From Lima to Be'eri to Nir Oz: The unexpected link hidden in a community archive 💛
A series of photographs preserved in the Jewish community archive in Lima, Peru, capture what appears to be an ordinary local moments: teenagers at camps, educational programs, and a young Israeli emissary working with local Jewish youth. Nothing suggested that these routine archival images would one day re-emerge as part of a much larger story, connecting a Jewish community in Peru to one of the defining traumas in Israel's history.
During the archival survey and digitization project led by the Archives of the Jewish People across Latin America, thousands of documents, letters, photographs, and records pass through archivists' hands. Most document everyday community life: board meetings, family celebrations, youth movement activities, or visits by Israeli emissaries. Occasionally, however, an archival item acquires an entirely new meaning.
In April 2024, while working in the community archive in Lima, historian Dr. Efraim Zadoff recognized a photograph of Eitan Horn, who had served there as a Jewish Agency and Hanoar Hatzioni emissary. Over the years, Horn became a beloved educator and youth leader, guiding teenagers, leading camps, and leaving a lasting impression on the community.
Nearby, Zadoff noticed a memorial corner dedicated to Dr. Daniel Levi Ludmir. Raised in Lima's Jewish community and educated at the León Pinelo Jewish School, Ludmir had also been active in Hanoar Hatzioni before immigrating to Israel. He later became a physician at Soroka Medical Center and a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, Daniel rushed to the clinic in Kibbutz Be'eri and treated the wounded under fire for hours, saving lives until he was murdered by Hamas terrorists. That same morning, Eitan Horn was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and taken to Gaza.
During the long months of Eitan's captivity, the Jewish community in Peru mobilized on his behalf. Community leaders, friends, and former students organized rallies, public campaigns, and acts of solidarity. The bond forged years earlier during his educational mission endured through the darkest of times and remained unbroken until his return from captivity in October 2025, after 738 days in captivity.
An archival photograph. A memorial corner. Ordinary records preserved by a community archive. Yet together they reveal another chain of connections linking Lima, Be'eri, Nir Oz, and the shared story of the Jewish people. 🎗️
סורוקה - מרכז רפואי אוניברסיטאי
