Bekerman, Abraham

Son of Sima and Avraham-Moshe (named after his father who died before he was born) was born on 25.3.1922 in Wlodawa, Poland and was educated as a religious educator. After studying in an elementary school and for several years in Yeshivah, he joined the labor force to support the family. During the Second World War he escaped from the Germans, joined the partisans and took part in acts of vengeance and sabotage against the enemy and was later accepted into the regular Russian army. After the Germans’ deportation, he moved to Italy and joined the Hehalutz-Partisan hachshara in order to immigrate to Palestine. In January 1946 he boarded the ship “Enzo Sereni”. When he arrived in Israel he joined Kfar Etzion, married and the couple had a son. Despite his weakness, as a result of his hardships in the war, he struggled to keep up the work and was one of the best workers in building steps in the Kfar Etzion plantations and in preparing the ground. He continued to protect himself during the winter of 1948. Due to his weakness he was about to leave for recuperation, but remained in his village because of the severance of the road and continued to do his duty in defense. In 1948 he took refuge in a monastery. The enemy blew up the monastery and the shelter’s defenders were buried under its ruins. He left behind a wife, Sonya and a son. On the 17th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was transferred to the eternal military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.