Daughter murdered, father took his own life: mother and daughter fight for their home
Anna Bongart and her daughter Evelina lost Sofia in the October 7 massacre. Months later, the father, Vladislav, took his own life. Now, the family is struggling against insurance companies that refuse to cover their mortgage.
The lives of the Bongart family from Karmiel have changed beyond recognition. It started on October 7, when their eldest daughter, Sofia, was murdered in a roadside shelter near Be'eri, and continued last February when Anna's husband, Vladislav Bongart, took his own life, unable to bear the intensity of his grief. Instead of receiving support, Anna and her young daughter, Evelina, are now fighting an exhausting battle against insurance companies. Due to technical clauses and fine print, the system refuses to cover the remaining mortgage, leaving them with a debt of hundreds of thousands of shekels and a double bereavement.
The shelter that became a death trap
Until that black Saturday, the Bongart couple lived the modest Israeli dream. Anna and Vladislav, who immigrated from Ukraine in 2006, worked for years to build a warm home in Karmiel. With their hard-earned savings, they purchased a small apartment, which represented the family's security and stability.
On the night of October 6-7, 21-year-old Sofia went to the Nova party in Re'im with her friend Liraz Nisan. After the terrorist attack began, they hid in a roadside shelter near Be'eri. Sofia sent her location to her parents, but the shelter soon became a death trap. Terrorists fired at the shelter and threw grenades inside. Nisan was killed instantly, and Sofia hid for hours under her friend's body. Around 11:30 AM, she tried to escape but was shot to death. They were buried side by side in Karmiel.
The thought that he could not save her did not let go
Sofia's murder changed the family's life. Vladislav, 48, a production worker at Rafael, struggled with guilt and intense longing. Twice a week, he visited his daughter's grave. On February 21, Anna found him lifeless. Vladislav and Sofia had a close relationship, and the thought that he might have been able to save her haunted him, says family friend Maya Sharban.
Anna was left alone with her younger daughter, Evelina, who is dealing with severe post-trauma. "They were left alone, just Anna, Evelina, and the pain," says Sharban. Anna must be available for her daughter around the clock, making daily life an impossible struggle.
An opaque wall of bureaucracy
Alongside her mourning, Anna is forced to deal with an exhausting economic struggle. The couple had a mortgage, insured continuously since 2017. A month before Vladislav's death, Menora insurance offered to lower their premium. The couple, immersed in grief and facing language barriers, did not realize that switching companies created a new one-year qualifying period for suicide-related death.
After Vladislav's death, both companies rejected the claim. Menora cited the unexpired qualifying period, while the previous company noted the policy had been canceled. Bongart was left with a 370,000 shekel mortgage balance and no coverage.
Menora explains that the qualifying period and the suicide exclusion were clearly stated, as is standard in Israeli life insurance. However, out of sensitivity, they offered the family a 50,000 shekel payment.
"I am not asking for pity," says Anna Bongart. "I am asking that someone look at our story through the heart, not just the fine print. We worked hard to buy a small house. We paid our mortgage believing that in our darkest hour, someone would stand by our side."
