Basman, Mordechai

Mordechai, son of Ada and Yehuda, was born on April 18, 1925 in Limburg, Germany, and in 1936 immigrated to Israel with his family. He completed eight years of schooling in Haifa and then went to study at the Technion vocational school in Haifa, where he studied for five years. Mordecai’s father had a profession in sanitation and dealt with the destruction of pests. In this profession, which was rare and special at that time, Mordecai also worked. Together with his father, he worked in various kibbutzim, in the Haifa port, and wherever their service and professional knowledge were required. Mordechai was drafted into the IDF in the middle of August 1948. One of his hobbies was cinematography and therefore he was assigned the role of filmmaker in the army, and was later assigned to a medical corps as a sanitation officer. In August 1950 Mordechai was released from regular service and his first daughter was born. He continued to work in his previous job as an independent contractor, and was sometimes called for periods of reserve service. He always fulfilled his duty faithfully and devotedly, and when he reached the age of reserve duty, Mordechai volunteered to serve in the IDF, and over the years he had a son and then another daughter. 10.1.1974, died of a Lev attack during his service. He was brought to eternal rest in the Haifa cemetery. He left behind a wife, two daughters and a son. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Mordechai served in his unit in compulsory service and for many years in the reserves, and was one of the pillars of the department in which he served. At any time he was prepared to come to our aid with his skills and professional knowledge, and for this we all valued him and projected the human qualities in which he was gifted. Being the oldest among us, he served as a father to the ward and was an example to the young soldiers who served with him. His untimely death is a severe loss to our unit, and his memory will be etched in our hearts for good. “His family planted a tree in his name in the forest of the defenders, to commemorate his memory.