Body of Kibbutz Be’eri Victim Manny Goddard, 73, Returned to Israel After 769 Days

The body of kidnapped victim Manny Goddard, 73, from Kibbutz Be’eri, was returned to Israel on Thursday night — more than two years after he was murdered and abducted to Gaza during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. His wife, Ayelet, was also murdered that day after fleeing their burning home.

In a statement, Kibbutz Be’eri said:

“This is the closing of a circle the family had been waiting for over 769 painful days. They held on to hope without air, for too long, without strength.”

According to the kibbutz, Hamas terrorists set fire to the Goddards’ home, forcing the couple to flee. Manny was shot and taken into Gaza; Ayelet managed to escape but was later found murdered after hiding for hours in nearby bushes.

A Life Rooted in Family, Community, and the Sea

Born in Tel Aviv, Manny was the fourth child of Yaakov and Sonny Goddard. A talented athlete and footballer, he joined Kibbutz Be’eri at age 13 and quickly became part of its community.

He later played as a striker for the Hapoel Be’eri senior team, earning a reputation as a top scorer. During his military service, he fought on the northern front in the Yom Kippur War.

After his discharge, Manny worked as a lifeguard, first on the Be’eri beach and later in Tel Aviv, where he met his future wife, Ayelet. The couple married and had four children — Mor, Gal, Bar, and Goni (adopted in 2005) — before settling back on the kibbutz.

“Manny was the king of the pool,” members of Be’eri said. “He ran it with a strong hand for years. His real gift was his bond with people — a devoted father, loving husband, and proud grandfather. His grandchildren loved visiting him, playing soccer, picking fruit, and swinging in the yard.”

“A Sad Return, But an End at Last”

In the aftermath of the attack, the family endured years of uncertainty. Bar Goddard, Manny’s daughter, recounted an attempted rescue operation:

“The officer told us about brave soldiers who tried to rescue Dad but couldn’t. They found a refrigerator in an Islamic Jihad position containing Dad’s belongings — but he wasn’t there.”

Her sister Mor said she had “planned his funeral 70 times” before finally allowing herself to face reality:

“The return is sad, but it closes a chapter. Waiting for that knock on the door was unbearable. Now we can begin to heal, even if the pain will never fade.”

Bar added earlier this week:

“We lost our mother, we lost our father, and we continue to pay the heaviest price. If there’s an end, it’s a heartbreaking one.”

With Manny Goddard’s return for burial, three Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, marking another deeply emotional moment in the long, painful journey of Israel’s hostage crisis.