Seventy women recently gathered in Sydney, Australia, for a yoga session and healing circle to honor Carmel Gat. Carmel was an Israeli yoga instructor who was killed while held captive by Hamas after being abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during the massacre on October 7, 2023.
The event took place on May 16, which would have been Gat’s 41st birthday. It was organized by Lev Echad (“One Heart”), a group within WIZO NSW made up of women aged 30 to 50. The morning began with the lighting of 41 candles, each representing a year of her life.
Money raised at the event will go to support Makom Balev (“A Place in the Heart”), a shelter and empowerment center in Beersheva. This center, supported by WIZO, helps women who have no safe place to turn.
Members of Lev Echad first learned about Carmel Gat during a solidarity mission to Israel in May 2024. They visited Be’eri on her 40th birthday and met her family and friends.
One participant said, “Carmel reminded us that even in the darkest places, light can be found through the body, breath and spirit. She embodied peace and resilience. Today, we honored her not just in mourning—but in movement.”
Makom Balev provides refuge and rehabilitation. It helps women find a new path forward, ensuring that Carmel Gat’s spirit continues to inspire and uplift others.
