Childhood at Ginosar

Barak was born on January 2, 1987, at Kibbutz Ginosar on the shores of the Sea of Galilee — grandson of Shulka and Vintche z"l, among the founders of the kibbutz. The youngest of four siblings — Meirav, Lior, Shachar, and Barak — he was the "ben hazkunim," raised in the family's private home rather than the traditional children's house.

Together with his best friend Omer Prager from the neighborhood (the pair nicknamed "the Bourekas"), Barak enjoyed a happy childhood on the Kinneret shores.

He was a quiet, humble child with a radiant smile and an inner peace that touched everyone around him. Around age eight he began swimming, and attended Nofi Arbel elementary school — a carefree childhood shaped by water, nature, and community.