“Some men saw my Instagram profile and asked why I had photos of a man who looked like my partner, so I told them he really was my partner, but that he had been killed in the war and I was ready to meet someone new. No one ever rejected me because of it or said, ‘Wow, that is such a heavy story,’ because in the end, as a country, we all experienced a national grief that everyone can relate to.”
Miri Lipovezky, 28, of Tel Aviv, is this week’s bachelorette. For a year and a half, she was in a loving relationship with the late Gavriel Bloom, who was killed in the war three months after it began.
“I fell in love with him very quickly,” she says. “He made me feel important from the very first moment and always put me first. He was a combat engineering soldier, and on October 7, he volunteered to enter Gaza.”
“At first, the distance and lack of contact were very hard for me. I was used to being his top priority, and suddenly there was something bigger than all of us. When I asked him whether they had told him to write a final letter, he said he did not want to bring bad thoughts on himself and that I shouldn’t worry, because he would come home and we would get married. But unfortunately, he never came back. He was killed, and I felt like the world had ended. Every day, I woke up to a nightmare that would not end.”
How did you cope?
“At first, I asked myself how I was supposed to go on, or worse, what the point of going on even was. But I drew strength and support from my family and friends. I was surrounded by so much love and by people who would not let me fall apart. After a year of mourning, when all I wanted was for the days to pass, they pushed me back toward work and routine. That was when I began realizing that I still had many years ahead of me, and that it was time for a change.”
“I started adding more to my life, like working out at the end of the day, and little by little, I began to recover. A year and a half after the loss, I decided to take an independent step and moved from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv. Something happened there, and my heart simply opened again.”
Miri Lipovezky. 'I will love Gavriel forever'
(Photo: Courtesy)
“I will love Gavriel forever, but that does not contradict having a great love and a relationship with someone else, someone I will build a home and start a family with,” she says. “The heart learns to expand and hold both. It is not one at the expense of the other, but one alongside the other. It will not take focus away from the new man in my life or from my love for him.”
‘I went back to being Miri, who is a whole world’
Lipovezky is a communications consultant and public relations professional. She loves the sea, especially at sunset, as well as friends, family, travel, skiing, karaoke, working out at the gym and a good binge-watch on the couch. Despite the major crisis she endured, she says she is much stronger than she thought, and she holds on to love and a passion for life.
Have you fallen in love with anyone since?
“Not yet, because I only started dating about eight months ago, but I felt that I wanted to. At first, I thought it was impossible to love another man when I already had someone in my heart. But in Tel Aviv, I experienced new beginnings in every part of my life, and it was exciting. I built a new life for myself with a different atmosphere, a job I love, the sea and new friends, and I felt that I wanted to start over romantically too, so I downloaded a dating app.”
“In the first few days, I looked for Gavriel on the apps, and no one was him. I felt like I was ‘Miri who lost her partner,’ but over time, I went back to being first and foremost Miri, a whole world of her own. The loss shaped me, but it does not define me. The Miri I am today has a heart that is a little more cautious, but still open. I take more risks, I am not ashamed, and I believe it is possible to start over, to feel excited, to laugh and to make room for good, healthy love.”
Miri Lipovezky. Make room for a new love
(Photo: Courtesy)
Would you date a combat soldier again?
“Yes. I would date anyone who felt right for me, but it would be important for him to understand that I went through trauma. When he goes to reserve duty, he would need to find a way to be more available and reassure me.
“More than anything, I am looking for a partner who will first and foremost be my best friend. Someone with a good heart, kind eyes and a great sense of humor, who can make me laugh and lighten difficult moments, but also someone stable, with a real desire to build something together.”
“I would like someone who takes initiative and does not just go with the flow, someone who is not afraid to talk, who will push me forward and, most importantly, will love me more than anything. I don’t have a specific type in mind because in the end, you fall in love with a person’s energy, the sense of confidence he gives you and the support he offers.”
What is your flaw?
“It takes my heart longer to open up.”
What is love to you?
“Being best friends, laughing together, supporting each other, cheering each other on and pushing your partner forward. It is being with someone whose hug is all I need at the end of a long day.”
Do you believe in love at first sight?
“I believe in affection at first sight. Someone can catch my eye and leave me wanting more, but real love is something that is built over time.”
Miri Lipovezky. Believes in affection at first sight
(Photo: Courtesy)
What have you learned about yourself in relationships?
“When the relationship is right for me, I am very authentic and natural in it. I am not trying to impress or hide parts of myself.”
What matters most to you in a relationship?
“True love and communication, prioritizing your partner and partnership.”
What offends you?
“When people bring things up behind your back.”
In your ideal scenario, what does your partner look like?
“He texts me good morning, asks how my day is going and how work was, and makes me feel that at the end of the day, I am coming home to my best friend, the person I cannot wait to see. We end the day together after sharing the small moments, and I feel wrapped and loved.”
Do you have any deal breakers?
“Someone who lacks ambition, or who is overly focused on looks.”
Would you date a smoker?
“I would not rule out cigarettes, but I would hope he would want to quit.”
Miri Lipovezky. Prefers a non-smoker
(Photo: Courtesy)
What age range are you looking for?
“28 to 35.”
Would you consider a divorced man, with or without children?
“I wouldn't rule it out, but I prefer someone single.”
What was the worst date you have been on?
“I went on a date with a guy I had met in a public bomb shelter during sirens, and he had this theory that women in their 30s carry ‘heavier emotional baggage’ than women in their 20s. I did not like that. He asked if I smoked, and when I said no, he replied, ‘Correct answer.’ The whole conversation felt off and condescending.”
Describe your perfect date.
“A date with laughter, chemistry and the feeling of wanting to see each other again.”
Should a man pay on the first date?
“I believe so. To me, there is something gentlemanly about it, a small gesture of respect toward a woman.”
What do you do in your free time?
“Going to the beach, meeting friends and family, traveling, skiing, karaoke bars, the gym, binge-watching shows and dancing.”
What is your favorite place, and why?
“Anywhere, as long as I am with the people I love.”
Miri Lipovezky
(Photo: Courtesy)
What makes you laugh?
“People who know how to laugh at themselves, too.”
When was the last time you cried, and why?
“At the marriage proposal of a close friend I love very much.”
How close are you to your family?
“My parents live in Be'er Sheva, and my brother lives in the United States. They worry about me a lot, and it is very important to them that I’m doing well.”
What were you in a previous life?
“I’m not sure I believe in past lives.”
What was the last series you binge-watched?
“Shameless.”
What kind of music do you listen to?
“Mainstream, mostly from the 2000s onward.”
Tell us something no one knows about you.
“My dream is to make it onto Dancing with the Stars.”
How would your friends describe you?
“A good friend, funny, empathetic, sharp and cynical.”
What do you do on Shabbat eve?
“Family, time with friends, wine and laughing about life.”
Where can someone approach you?
“On the Tel Aviv promenade, in bars, on Instagram and even at the supermarket.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In a relationship, with children, at the peak of my career and happy with my life. Amen.”