Avraham, Mordechai

Son of Tzalha and Avraham. He was born on 13.5.1953 in Jerusalem three years after his family immigrated from Iraq. When he was three years old, his family moved from the transit camp to permanent residence in the Katamon neighborhood, where he also completed his elementary studies at the Masada State Religious School. He continued to study for two years at the Ein Karem Agricultural High School and completed his high school studies at the Mevo’ot Yam School. At the beginning of May 1971 Mordechai was drafted into the IDF and assigned to the Armored Corps, during which he underwent various courses and was promoted to Corporal and participated in the Yom Kippur War. After his discharge from the army he continued to serve for long periods in reserve duty and participated in Operation Peace for the Galilee. In 1974 he married Ruthie and established his home in Jerusalem. At first Mordechai worked as a diamond polisher, but after his injury he converted and worked for a while in his brother’s pastry shop and then as a taxi driver and took tourists around the country. In 1975, his eldest daughter Adi was born, and four years later his second daughter, Galit, was born. Mordechai used to organize a trip to Eilat every year on Passover with his family and friends. In 1981 his mother died after a Lev attack, which was traumatic for the family. In 1983, Mordechai and his wife parted. Mordechai maintained close contact with his daughters, spent a lot of time playing and traveling with them throughout the country, and they had a loyal and dedicated father. Mordecai was friendly and helped everyone who turned to him for help. He read a lot of thrillers, wrote poems, sculpted clay miniatures, was an athlete and kept running, swimming and exercising. On the 16th of Av 5748 (16 July 1988), Mordecai fell to the military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where he died at the age of thirty-five, leaving two daughters – Adi and Galit, father, two sisters – Yaffa Varda and four brothers – Yitzhak, Shlomo, Ze’ev and Chaim.