Ben Mizrahi, dead at 22, was born and raised in Canada, growing up in Vancouver. He was active in the Jewish community, attending the Vancouver Hebrew Academy for elementary school and then King David High School, both private Jewish schools. After finishing high school, Mizrahi immigrated to Israel to join its military, and was drafted in 2019. He spent three years in a parachute unit and also completed a paramedic course. Mizrahi’s service ended in April 2022, and he went on to travel throughout South America, work in a kibbutz and take steps to become a real estate developer. Mizrahi was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, at the Supernova outdoor music festival near the Gaza border.

Speaking about his life, Mizrahi’s mother, Dikla Mizrahi, said, “Ben was so proud of who he was […] He was proud to be a Jew, he was proud to be Israeli. He had his mind set that, after high school, he would go to Israel and learn in a pre-army Mechina program to prepare him for the IDF. He couldn’t imagine himself doing anything else. And he didn’t. He did it all.” A memorial post for Mizrahi on his high school’s Facebook page stated, “Ben was a friend to everyone and was so proud of his service in the IDF.”

Dikla Mizrahi is part of a lawsuit launched by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in April 2024 in response to Canada’s decision to resume funding to UNRWA, an organization that has delivered essential aid to Palestinians, particularly since October 2023. The lawsuit is asking for the government to permanently cut funding to the organization.