Hayim Katsman | |
|---|---|
חיים כצמן | |
| Born | (1991-10-03)3 October 1991 Israel |
| Died | 7 October 2023(2023-10-07) (aged 32) Holit, Israel |
| Cause of death | Holit massacre |
| Alma mater | |
Hayim Katsman (Hebrew:חיים כצמן; 3 October 1991 – 7 October 2023) was an American-Israeli peace activist and academic. He was murdered in theHolit massacre in Israel, on 7 October 2023.[1]
Katsman was born in Israel on 3 October 1991.[2][1] His parents immigrated to Israel fromNew York City in 1990.[2] His mother was originally fromCincinnati, and his father was fromSeattle.[3] His maternal grandparents were bothHolocaust survivors.[3] He grew up inPetah Tikva[4] in aReligious Zionist household. Katsman was an avid reader from a young age. As a teenager he read works byRichard Dawkins, which significantly influenced his decision to stop being religiously observant. At 16, he was expelled from the religious high school he attended after refusing to stop openly criticizing religion despite a request from the school administration. He was sent to attend at an external high school program and at age 17 began studying philosophy at theOpen University of Israel. He had to pause his studies to do mandatory military service in theIsrael Defense Forces.[5]
After completing his military service, Katsman moved to kibbutzHolit out of a desire to "revive" the community.[3] He initially worked as a car mechanic, before becoming a gardener for the kibbutz.[2][6] He later opened a bar there.[2] He was also a DJ who played a wide range ofArabic music. He deejayed at friend's parties and various events under the stage name "Dr. 3abass". On the evening before the October 7 attack, he had deejayed at a farewell party close to theNova music festival.[7]
Katsman resumed his philosophy studies at the Open University of Israel following his discharge from the IDF. After discovering that the university did not offer a standalone philosophy degree and that he would need to pursue a double major, he chose political science as his second major. During his studies he developed a passion for political science and decided to pursue further academic studies in the subject.[5] He subsequently earned a master's degree in political science fromBen-Gurion University of the Negev, where he led the adjunct professors' union.[2][1][3] He then moved to Seattle to pursue a PhD in international studies from theUniversity of Washington. While in Seattle, he taught Hebrew at a synagogue and was a co-coordinator of the university's Israel-Palestine research group.[2][6] Katsman returned to Holit after the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[4] He completed his degree remotely, winning the Baruch Kimmerling prize (given by theAssociation for Israel Studies) for best graduate paper in 2020[4] and graduating in 2021.[1][3] His dissertation focused onreligious Zionism in Israel.[4]
Katsman was opposed to theIsraeli occupation of the West Bank, and refused to visitIsraeli settlements there.[2] He was involved in several activist groups, includingMachsom Watch[3] and a group that organized "protective presence" shifts for Palestinian communities in theHebron Hills.[2][8] He testified forBreaking the Silence,[8] volunteered to transport Palestinians from Gaza to medical appointments in Israel, and was also involved with volunteer work inRahat. He was fluent in Arabic.[2][7]
Katsman was working as a lecturer on philosophy, politics, and Israeli society atHadassah Academic College at the time of his death.[1][5] His academic research focused onreligious Zionist communities.[3]
Katsman was in Holit when it wasattacked by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023 and attempted to assist his neighbors. He initially ran to the home of his neighbor Tehila Katabi and found that she had been killed. He then ran to the home of his other neighbor, Avital Alajem and hid in the closet with her, shielding her with his body. Katsman was shot dead after Hamas fighters entered the house, but Alajem survived.[2][1][9] She was thenkidnapped to Gaza by Hamas militants along with two children from the kibbutz, a four-month old baby and a four-year old child. They were abandoned by their kidnappers and Alajem was able to take the children back to Holit.[3]
Katsman was 32 years old at the time of his death. He was buried on 12 October in Petah Tikva, at theYarkon Cemetery.[10]
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