17 full years
Gavriel was born on Holocaust day-
Gavriel wrote his life story when he was 14 as an English
project. You can read it here.
Gavriel was born in Kfar
Adumim, near
Gavriel went to kindergarten
and was always helping other children and trying to make peace between his
friends when they fought. That didn't stop him from taking an active role in
all the romps with his brothers at home. Gavriel loved working with Lego. He
played for hours with his pirate ships.
These pictures were taken in a booth while on a visit to his
grandparents in
Gavriel started school and also went to extra 
classes in science after
school. Everything interested him. His teaches used to tell us they dreamed of
having a son like Gavriel. He was the perfect pupil, eager to learn, respectful
and willing to help everyone. He soon started to take classes outside of school
with Rabbi Reuven Grodner and attended the Jewish study lessons for adults.
Gavriel became the plasticene expert and made models of almost everything. Each
model was humoristic. Here is an example from when he was in second grade.
Each night from when he was really small Gavriel read Bible
stories with
his father. Systematically
they read through the books of the Bible and discussed the stories together. He
learnt how to read from the Bible in the Yemenite tradition. In high school this knowledge made it easier
for him to become the school champion in the Bible competition and 4th
in
When Gavriel was 8 he joined his brothers father and cousin Rotem
on a trip through
Gavriel and Sephy made movies together. Gavri made the
plasticene models and Sephy filmed. One such feature was about Israeli
independence day. Ben Gurion looked just as he should. Sephy and Gavriel also
teamed up to supply entertainment for their sisters Michal and Orit. They
turned the house into a Disney resort one summer!
The family also went on many trips in
Music is a key element in the Hoter household. Gavriel had an
amazing voice. He was in the childrens' opera when he was little and performed
with his brothers in the famous Hoter Brothers trio. As he got older he was
able to make the sounds of many musical instruments with his mouth, percussion
as well as trumpets and the like. He also adapted Shabbat songs to our family
favorite melodies.
Gavriel was always well ahead of his class, but he was always
interested in the lessons. He once told me when I asked if the lessons were
boring "There is always something to learn, if not from the material then
from how the teacher presents the material, or how she deals with discipline
problems and if that isn't interesting then I work out how I would teach the
lesson to make it more exciting." Gavriel NEVER looked down on anybody. On
the contrary, he always made his friends feel better about themselves.
Gavriel attended the religious scout movement and was always
there to lend a hand and ALWAYS carried the jerry cans! Gavriel taught many
children, new immigrants and anyone who wanted help in their studies. There
were always pupils waiting to come in and Gavriel was only 12 himself! So many
people remember Gavriel as the person who helped them, who saw they needed a
friend and was there for them, particularly those less fortunate than Gavriel.
Gavriel completed the Mishna by his barmitzva. He read what I
think is the longest double portion and changed from reading according to the
Yemenite, Ashkenazi or Sephardic-Jerusalem tune
in accordance to who was called up. His party Saturday night was a take
off of the Bible 
Quiz program and Gavriel
dressed up as soldiers with his 2 brothers and did a "take off" of
the Rabbinical army group.
Gavriel skipped 8th
grade and went to study at the Yeshiva high school for science and technology
in Maale Adumim. Just before Gavriel started high school, Avichai was born.
Gavriel took his brotherly responsibilities seriously and spent many hours with
his little brother.
After a year in high school the Hoter family moved to Alloney
Habashan in the
Gavriel completed his matriculation exams at school but had already
made himself a vigorous work schedule. He didn't want to waste a second. He
worked on himself trying to improve himself. He stopped eating anything between
meals and limited the number of meals he ate a day. He was an anti
materialistic person in a materialistic world. Possessions and money were not
needed. The important thing was to serve G-d and be a better person. This is
what he strived to achieve.
Gavriel chose to attend
Otniel Yeshiva where his brother Sephy was studying. Here he devoted himself
completely to studying Jewish studies, but at the same time always had time to
help friends understand the lessons, give support and be a true friend to all
around him. He became famous for his massages!
Gavriel was close to his family, parents, brothers and sisters
and grandparents. He was loved by everyone. We all felt there was an angel in
our midst. (Here you can read his last email to his grandparents)
On Friday, the day of the murder, Gavriel prepared himself for
the Sabbath going to the "mikva". He prayed with so much devotion
that friends who wanted to ask him if he'd help them over the Sabbath felt they
couldn't disturb him. At the end of the service a friend asked him if he would
do kitchen duty instead of him-of course Gavriel immediately agreed.
Between the courses Gavriel
went to the kitchen to serve the food. Two terrorists entered via the kitchen
dressed as soldiers and shot at the 4 boys. Gavriel was shot 8 times in the
chest.
Last
photos
A
12 minute English movie about Gavriel
An English PowerPoint
presentation used on Remembrance Day
