Ben-Ari, Mira (Miriam)

Daughter of Rivka and Israel, was born in 1926 in Berlin. Her father, who knew Herzl face to face, educated her in national-Jewish education and sent to a Zionist school. Mira was associated with the Zionist movement from her childhood and was a member of the Bar Kokhba Association. In 1943 she immigrated to Israel with her parents, immediately acquired her knowledge of Hebrew, joined Maccabi and took part in sports. In 1943 she completed her studies at the “son of Yehuda” Gymnasium in Tel Aviv and embarked on a year of training in the kibbutz. Kibbutz life revived her Lev and she and a group of friends set out to establish the Nitzanim group in the south, in a desolate environment surrounded by an Arab settlement. In the group, Mira worked hard, recognizing that this was her way of life in Israel. At a young age, she married a veteran Palmach member and reached the age of 19. In the days of the struggle for immigration, she was sent to a wireless course, connecting the immigrant ships who were approaching the mooring on the southern shore and those waiting for them on the beach. When her husband came out on a raid on Beit Daras one day, she told him, “Go and do your job thoroughly so that I will be proud of you.” When the children and mothers were evacuated from the spot, Mira remained in the place as an irreplaceable wireless operator, The progress of the Egyptian fence near Ashdod remains Kibbutz Nitzanim in the rear And that this point could serve as a basis for the operation of our forces in the rear of the house and therefore shelled it for a few days and then concentrated considerable force to conquer it.The Egyptian attack was launched on June 7, 1948. In the night the agriculture was severely shelled and in the morning the assault began, but it was stopped by the defenders. The bombardment and even the operation of planes that bombed the agriculture and caused heavy damage Under the cover of the bombing Egyptian infantry and armored forces advanced and managed to enter the agriculture and take control of it Mira placed the radio in the ground and went with the commander of the place to the enemy to discuss the surrender. When three Egyptian officers approached them, one of them took out his pistol and shot the commander who had fallen. Mira pulled her pistol out of her blouse, shot the Egyptian officer, and killed him. Mira stood alone in front of the two enemy officers, behind which stood dozens of Egyptian soldiers, armed from head to toe, but did not ask for mercy. She was shot and killed on the 29th of Iyar 5708 (June 7, 1948), brought to rest in the cemetery in Nitzanim.