Vered Abotbol, the Late Limor Vaknin Permuter’s Sister's Homemade Couscous with Soup Recipe

“A Place at the Table” is a commemorative project that documents the favorite dishes of those lost on October 7 with the help of their families. 

“If I die, let it be at a party like this,” Limor Vaknin Permuter wrote to her sister, Vered Abotbol, in a text message about a month before she was murdered at the Nova Festival. This sentence, which Vered finds herself revisiting again and again, sends shivers down her spine every time.

Limor was celebrating at yet another party — a place where she could let loose and escape. Even in her late 40s, she was a tireless partygoer who radiated joy and knew how to revel in life. Wherever there was music and dancing, Limor was there — floating to the rhythm, her black curls bouncing to the beat. She was always at the center of the dance floor, pulling everyone into her orbit and encouraging them to join. 

Even the most routine hangouts became celebrations with Limor, Vered says. For instance, when they would cook holiday meals together, the first thing Limor would do was pour some wine and turn on the music. That was her way of setting the tone — turning any moment into a joyful experience.

As playful as she was, she was also the brain of the family. A VP of finance at a construction and engineering company, Limor helped everyone in the family with numbers — whether it was managing money, running a business, or preparing for math exams.

Ever since the sisters were little, there was a clear division of labor between them, including in the kitchen, Vered says, as she places a large pot of turmeric-spiced vegetables on the stove for the golden couscous soup. Limor was the expert in Asian food and stir-fries, while Vered took charge of the couscous that Limor and her children loved so much.

So, when Vered wanted to treat her sister, she would prepare couscous and a pot of soup filled with vibrant orange vegetables and send it home with Limor. When Limor wanted to do something special for Vered, she would make her famous stir-fry.

Limor bought the tickets to the Nova Festival about six months in advance. Although Vered asked her to stay for Simchat Torah, Limor insisted there was no way she was giving up on this party.

Vered will never forget the morning of October 7. In the town of Meitar, where she lives, there were no sirens, but the sound of explosions was unmistakable. When they first woke her, she didn’t immediately remember that her sister was at the festival. Yet, of all the family members, she felt an overwhelming need to call Limor first, to make sure she was okay.

From that moment until almost the end, Vered stayed on the phone with Limor, bearing witness to her sister’s last moments. Limor was among the first to escape the party when she gave a ride to Alina Master, a friend. Trying to escape the relentless rocket fire, Limor pulled over near an empty shelter close to the Gaza Strip.

As soon as they got out of the car, a rocket struck it. They managed to reach the shelter just in time, feeling as though their lives had been miraculously spared. While they waited for the rocket fire to subside, two other festival goers, Gal Navon and Sefi Genis, who had been injured by shrapnel, made their way to the shelter.

Not long after, the four heard gunshots and the sound of terrorists approaching the shelter. From that moment on, Vered says, Limor began texting with her and their brother, so the terrorists wouldn’t hear her. In a split-second decision, Gal and Sefi left the shelter to confront the terrorists and prevent them from entering. Both were killed, and the terrorists moved away from the shelter.

While Alina and Limor thought their lives had been spared once again, more terrorists arrived and shot them at point-blank range. Alina lost consciousness. When she woke up, she discovered that Limor had been murdered. Throughout the time Alina was unconscious, she later said, Limor had hugged her and shielded her with her body, ultimately saving her life.

Limor was born in 1974 and was one of four siblings. She was a standout student, excelling at math. She served in the army as an officer, where she also taught her commanders mathematics.

She lived in Be’er Sheva with her husband, Herbert, and their three children — Uri, Ofek, and Ariel. Limor was not only a devoted mother but also a wonderful aunt, Vered says. 

As Vered prepares the couscous Limor loved, she says: “It’s just as good as my grandmother’s.” And she passes along a trick she learned from her sister: Instead of steaming the semolina over the soup pot, Vered steams the mixture in the microwave for a few minutes before passing it through the large couscous sieve. “And if it passes my aunt’s inspection, then I know it’s right,” she smiles, running her palm over the semolina lumps in circular motions.

As she sifts the semolina into fine, delicate couscous grains — the way Limor loved — Vered talks about an endless longing for her sister. She misses their early morning phone calls when Vered would call Limor to wake her up. She misses cooking together with glasses of wine in hand and most of all, her sister’s smile whenever she heard music. “She could make the whole world dance,” Vered says. 

Did you prepare the dish? Share a photo of it and tag it #A_Place_at_the_Table  to honor the memory of the late Limor Vaknin Permuter.