Barihon, Asaf (Asfau)

Ben from Bertha and Brihon. He was born on the 11th of Tevet 5737 (1.1.1977) in the village of Safna in Ethiopia. When he was eight years old, on the eve of the family’s immigration to Israel, the father died. In his memory, the family name was changed from Fredda to Berihun. The family immigrated to Israel as part of Operation Moses through Sudan, where they lived in tents for seven months. When they arrived in Israel, they spent two weeks in a hotel in Ashkelon and were transferred to the Eden Hotel in Nahariya. Assaf studied there in the first grade, but after about a year the family received the Amidar apartment in Upper Afula, where she established her home. Assaf attended Ma’alot Elementary School in Afula until the sixth grade. In the early years he found it somewhat difficult to integrate into the school. At the age of thirteen, he moved to the Talpiot boarding school near Hadera, but returned home a year later because of his intense longing for his mother and brother. He also stopped studying, turned to the world of work and worked in the plastic factory “Yafit” until he was drafted. In a sense, Assaf felt that he had to assume the father’s role and contribute to his family’s income. In this he expressed the sense of responsibility he felt for his mother and his brothers. Assaf was a friendly person and established ties with veteran Israeli youth and even Ethiopian immigrants who lived next door. His dream was to be a movie actor. He liked to watch action films on television and identified mainly with the actor Van Dam, until it became his family’s second name. Assaf also worked in sports, karate and basketball. In the middle of July 1995, Assaf enlisted in the IDF and served in a general army base in the Nahariya area, where he worked as a cook, and later on, after training, he was placed in the position of security of installations. (19.1.1996) Assaf fell in the line of duty when he was nineteen years old and he was brought to eternal rest in the military section of the cemetery in Afula, leaving a mother, two brothers – Yosef and Uri and four sisters – Ilana, Zahava, Ora and Ziva. To the bereaved family Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak wrote: “Assaf was described by his commanders as a diligent soldier dedicated to his work, who was willing to help and contribute in all that He demanded. Was liked and accepted among the commanders and members alike. “