Louis Herr

Louis made Aliyah from Argentina in his youth and has been a member of kibbutz Urim. He is a father of four and a grandfather of 10 grandchildren. Louis is a warm and caring person who always wears a smile. He recently retired from his work and has been spending more time on his hobbies: folk dancing, baking and cooking, among others. Louis is famous for his pasta, empanadas and thin-crust pizza with unconventional toppings.
On October 7th, Louis and his partner Clara Rosa Merman (63) hosted Clara’s family at their home in Kibbutz Nir-Yitzhak. The guests were: Clara’s brother Fernando Merman (60), their sister Gabriela Leimberg (59) and her teenage daughter Mia Leimberg. All family members planned to spend together the holiday of Simchat Torah.
The lovely family gathering has suddenly turned into a harrowing ordeal, as the Hamas terror organization attacked the kibbutz, among other communities in southern Israel. All five family members who were in the house were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists into the Gaza Strip.
The ladies; Clara, Gabriella and Mia were freed from Hamas captivity as part of a temporary cease-fire deal on 28 November.
In the night between February 11th and 12th, 2024, after 129 days of captivity, Shin Bet (General Security Services) and Yamam (swat team) forces, in cooperation with the IDF, rescued Fernando Simon Merman and Louis Herr, who were held on the second floor of a building in the heart of Rafah, Gaza. The forces covertly approached the building, breached it amidst Hamas terrorists, and successfully conducted a well-planned rescue operation, securing the hostages' safety. The operation lasted about an hour, during which there was an exchange of fire with Hamas's "Shaboura'' battalion. A soldier was slightly injured during the mission.
Welcome home dear Louis and Fernando!