Bercol (Kopelman), Michael (“Mickey”)

Son of Aryeh and Miriam. He was born on 21.1.1951 in Haifa. 1956-1958 Lives in Safed. He studied at the Zichron Yaakov elementary school in the estate and in 1965 began studying at the military school of the Reali School in Haifa. He was a member of the “HaPoel” sports association and participated in its activities: In 1961 he was at the international conference of Hapoel; In 1962 he participated in a gymnastics competition for instruments for schools in Haifa; In 1963, 1964 and 1966 he was awarded various medals (iron, silver and bronze) and sports signal tests. In 1966, he participated in the Sinai race, after the late Doron Segal, in 1967. In 1968, he participated in the four-day marathon, and in 1969 he participated in the military indoor soccer championship, where he learned about him a year later. “You spent four years in our school and boarding school. During this period I was introduced to you as an intelligent young man, with great talent, with a strong desire and striving tirelessly to fulfill his ambitions. You had a shy innocence, a kind of childish modesty, You seldom thundered in your voice in an argument, or in a game with friends, as if to reveal your Lev, but your serenity was good at expressing your feelings from words. In the sixteen months since you finished your studies, I have seen you sitting on the concrete steps of the stadium in Beit Biram several times; Sitting and thinking and almost saying, “Bercol, come into the classroom” if it were not for the beret and uniform that brought me back to reality. When I approached you, reaching out shyly, and answering my inquisitive questions, I answered laconic, not a single unnecessary word, trying to hide your feelings, in short and for that matter – very typical of you. I was very fond of you, Michael, and I have no words to express my sorrow. He loved the country and its landscapes from childhood, and his ambition was to integrate into the problems of the country in general and its security in particular, and in every way of life he strove towards this goal. As far as he is concerned, the problem of the State of Israel is paramount and therefore he followed the path chosen by the IDF, the Paratroops. In August 1969 he was drafted into the IDF after completing his boarding school, volunteering to serve in the Paratroopers Brigade, taking part in difficult operations in the Suez Canal and the fierce battles in the Beit She’an Valley. His command was written to his parents in a letter of condolence, in which he noted Michael’s pride in being a parachutist and serving his country as a warrior: “He always stood out as a soldier who aspires to perfection in the field of execution, both in training and in actual operational activity. Although he did not fully agree with the military ceremony, we never saw him dressed improperly, or disparaging orders that were not operational. I would like you to know that Michael was the best soldier in his class and one of the outstanding soldiers in his department. We all predicted a great future and full success in command positions in his unit. “I know that words will not console you and will not reverse the loss, but remember that you made a blood pact with the IDF and with the Paratroopers, and Michael’s memory will never be used from our hearts.”