Ben-Aharon, Shabtai

Son of Aharon and Laura. He was born on August 1, 1933 in the city of Kyustendil, Bulgaria, where he completed his studies in an ORT vocational school and high school abroad, and in 1948 he immigrated to Israel and continued his studies in the kibbutz. One of the first emissaries from abroad to learn the most modern steel birds, he was promoted to the rank of captain of the Boeing aircraft and was one of the first captains of Israeli civil aviation. Was drafted into the IDF in May 1951 and was one of the veteran pilots in the Israel Air Force, where he served as a combat pilot. He was one of the pioneers on a flight of Israeli Air Force jets. He participated in the Sinai Squadron, which took upon itself a dangerous and decisive mission. And with supreme heroism and disregard for danger he disengaged from his airplane the connection between the Egyptian command and its front. He was quiet by nature and friendly and modest in his actions. He reached the rank of captain. Even as a civilian pilot, he trained in reserve duty on a combat flight and maintained his war skills. At the outbreak of the Six-Day War he served in the reserves and his calm personality contributed greatly to the coolness of his comrades-in-arms in doing everything he had to do in a good and thorough manner. But in the battle that took place near Ma’ale Adummim on the Jerusalem-Jericho road, on the eve of the first day of the battles, on the 5th of Iyar 5727 (5.6.1967), when he fell in the area, he was murdered by the enemy. He left a wife and two daughters. He was laid to rest in the civil fighting house in Kiryat Shaul. On the first anniversary of its fall, KKL-JNF planted a forest in its memory in the pilots’ forest in Modi’in, near son of Shemen; The grove was planted on behalf of his relatives, friends and the El Al company. El Al has awarded three scholarships to outstanding students at the Holtz School in aviation and electronics. The memory of the workers in El Al’s magazine was mentioned. His friends published a booklet bearing his name – “Shabtai”.