Ackerman, Meir

He was born in 1901 in Bandry, Sarabia, Russia, where he joined the “Tehiyyah” group of the Hehalutz organization, and before he emigrated to Eretz Israel he prepared for pioneering work in the “New Mesila”, a training farm of the Zionist Organization near Constantinople, Turkey. In 1921 he arrived in Israel and stayed at the immigrants’ home in Jaffa. On the day of the 23rd of Nisan (May 1, 1952), the riots broke out and the immigrants’ house was the first target of the Arab rioters. Arab rioters armed with rifles, and the mob managed to break into the house and killed twelve of its inhabitants. Meir fought for a long time with the rioters, but was finally shot in the head and killed. He was buried in a mass grave in the old cemetery in Tel Aviv.