Chana Mansour, the daughter-in-law of Shlomo who was abducted and murdered on October 7th, eulogized him in an interview with radio Kan Reshet Bet.
"He was very much loved by all of us. When he would come to Jerusalem from Kissufim, everyone would gather to see him and hear him. Even those married into the family called him 'uncle' and not 'Shlomo' out of respect. It's a great loss," she said.
She recounted that the extended family was notified of his abduction on the night of October 7th, after the end of the Simchat Torah holiday. "We are religious so we didn't turn on the radio during the day. Only at night did we know that he may be among the hostages, and in the morning they confirmed it."
"We knew that they took him, but not where he is. Since he was abducted, a dark cloud has been over us, but we hoped that maybe still since he was such a kind person and knew how to speak and read Arabic, they would release him at some point. We really hoped that in this phase he would be released, but unfortunately, we received the bitter news."
Kibbutz Kissufim, where Mansour was a founding member, published a statement reading: "With a heavy heart, we, the members of the kibbutz, received an announcement this morning on the murder in captivity of our dear friend, Shomo Mansour, aged 86, who was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Kissufim during the Hamas terror attack on October 7th, 2023.
"This is one of the hardest days in our kibbutz's history. Shlomo, to us, was much more than a community man, he was a father, grandfather, a true friend, and Kissufim's beating heart. His smile, modesty, and human warmth were an inspiration to us all. Our hearts are broken by the fact that we were unable to bring him back alive. The entire community is grieving our loss and is unified in mourning and pain," the kibbutz noted.
The statement added: "We send our sincere and deep condolences to his wife, Mazal, and the entire Mansour family, who carried the pain of Shlomo's absence day and night. This loss is a wound that won't heal, but our community will support and care for the family all it can. In addition, we call on the Israeli government and world leaders to continue working to bring back all the hostages, living and deceased, and not to allow painful stories such as Shlomo's to repeat themselves."
Mansour, who survived the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Iraq, was among the founders of Kibbutz Kissufim, where he worked in the kibbutz chicken coop and eyewear factory. He was known as a dedicated worker with golden hands, and as a hobby, he learned carpentry and jewelry making. He was abducted from his safe room and was led handcuffed by the terrorists. Throughout his captivity, his family did not receive a sign of life from him.
Mazal was saved from Hamas's hands but saw her husband being dragged to Gaza by the terrorists and immediately managed to enter her neighbor's house. After several hours she was rescued by IDF forces.