News reports from around the country are beginning to identify Americans killed in the recent Hamas attack on civilians in Israel last week. One of those confirmed dead is Lior Abramov, age 20, whose mother, Michal Halev, lived in Hopewell Borough until recently. MercerMe has confirmed that Abramov had not attended HVRSD schools.
Halev posted on Facebook: “My only son the love of my life passed from here. The world has come to a standstill,”.
Various news agencies have reported that, in the past year, Abramov had moved* to Israel where he was working as a DJ. The attack by Hamas included killings at a music festival that Abramov attended.
The New York Post reported: that Abramov “was hiding in an Israeli bomb shelter when he last contacted his family on the day of Hamas’ attack. “He phoned his dad in the morning — my brother — in the morning around 7:30, saying, ‘People are shooting at us,’” Abramov’s aunt, Yael Abramov, told The Post on Tuesday.
“‘I am going into a missile shelter, a bomb shelter, and don’t worry,’” the aspiring DJ told his family. “‘I’m not going to be able to speak because it’s very noisy.’ After that, we didn’t know anything that was going on.”
On social media, Governor Murphy stated: “Devastated to learn that 20-year-old Hopewell native Lior Abramov was tragically killed during the Hamas terrorist attack. Lior had moved to Israel to follow in his father’s footsteps & become a successful DJ. Our prayers are with his family as they grieve this unimaginable loss.”
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes issued the following press release: “We are devastated to learn that Mercer County native, Lior Abramov of Hopewell was among the innocent victims tragically killed in the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas. Lior was only 20 years old with his entire life before him. We grieve for all who whose lives have been taken, including children, the elderly and entire families, and condemn this shocking attack on Israel. I ask all our residents to join us in prayer for Lior’s family and for all who remain missing.”
Edited 10/13 to correct the name of Abramov’s mother, which was autocorrected incorrectly. Also, to clarify the Governor and County Executive statements about Abramov being a “native” to Hopewell Borough: he was not. According to friends of Michal Halev, she lived in Hopewell Borough for several years but moved in 2021. *Abramov was an Israeli.
