Hundreds of mourners arrived at the Beeri cemetery on Monday to accompany Meny Godard to his final resting place, as the Kibbutz community and members of the public gathered to pay their respects. Godard was murdered on October 7 and taken into Gaza, where his body was held by Hamas for 769 days before being returned to Israel for burial.
During the funeral, his children - Bar, Mor, and Goni - delivered emotional eulogies honoring their father’s memory and recounting the pain of their long struggle to bring him home.
Bar Godard described her father as a constant source of love, encouragement, and devotion from her earliest childhood. She recalled the Saturdays he spent on gate duty at the kibbutz, the playful moments they shared, and the values he instilled in her. Bar spoke of the determination shown by the family and by the public campaign to return the hostages, thanking the IDF and all who supported their efforts. She pledged to continue fighting for accountability and for the return of the remaining hostages, vowing to work toward a better future for the country.
Mor Godard-Hasharoni spoke of her father as a man with "the biggest heart in the world," a figure who embodied safety, love, and stability for their family and the many friends who knew him. She also paid tribute to their mother, Ayelet, describing the couple as a unified team whose values guided their children through the darkest moments. Mor recounted the painful path the family endured as hostage relatives and emphasized that the struggle to return the remaining captives must continue. She expressed sorrow that her father had not been protected and that he was denied burial in Israel for so long, before noting that he was now laid to rest beside her mother in the soil he loved.
Goni Godard remembered his father with deep affection, expressing regret that he could not save his parents on October 7. He thanked his father for the love and meaning he brought into his life and described the comfort and strength he found in his father’s embrace. Goni recalled the moments they shared together and said his parents’ memory continues to give him and his siblings the strength to endure.
Meny Godard was buried beside his wife, Ayelet, as the community bid farewell after more than two years of waiting. The ceremony concluded with the family expressing their commitment to continue the struggle for the return of the remaining hostages still held in Gaza.