Avitan, Michael

Son of Meir and Miriam. Was born on March 30, 1954, in the city of Rabat, in Morocco. When he was nine years old, he immigrated to Israel with his family, who settled in Be’er Sheva. He studied at the “Yosef Karo” State Religious School and at the “Amal” high school in Be’er Sheva. He was a disciplined and comfortable child, punctual and meticulous in both work and study. He played a lot of football with his friends and watched games. His teachers at the elementary school remember him “as a healthy student in the body and soul, who was always willing to get out for help, his friends appreciated him and they had almost a minister and a judge. Despite the difficulties of his studies at the vocational school, Michael did not hesitate to learn that a class had been opened for higher studies in the evening, enrolled in studies there, and continued – among the few that lasted – two years. From the time he completed his studies at the Amal school until his enlistment in the IDF, he worked in an air-industry factory in Beer-Sheva, where he kept order, punctuality, and cleanliness in his work. “Good morning.” His superiors soon became aware of his qualities and trusted him as an adult, even when he did not neglect his studies and spent one day a week paying his entire salary to his father. Successfully completed a course for heavy truck drivers. The hard work did not dampen his good spirits. Michael was fond of everyone who came into contact with him, fulfilled his duties faithfully and devotedly and was exemplary and exemplary. He had never evaded fulfilling a task, even the most difficult and the most unpleasant. He was the driving force in society and his room was full of soldiers and women who came to be with him. On February 3, 1973, he fell in the line of condolences to the family and wrote: “Michael was a good and loyal soldier. He always did his work in the best possible way and was loved by his commanders and friends. “A Torah scroll in his memory was brought by his family to a synagogue in Be’er Sheva.