Danieli, Avraham (Shami)

Son of Yaffa and Aaron. He was born on December 15, 1913 in Damascus, Syria. His father was recruited at the beginning of the First World War for forced labor in the Turkish army (Sajara). When the British army came to the Suez Canal, the father deserted and returned to Damascus where he began to trade between the villages in the mountains and Abraham joined him on his travels. At first the boy attended the Hebrew school in Damascus. At the age of twelve, he joined the “Maccabi” association and later to Hechalutz. In 1932 he immigrated to Eretz Israel and was one of the founders of the Hanoar Haoved branch in Haifa. In Haifa he worked as a locksmith and devoted his spare time to painting, his main hobby. His nickname for his friends and acquaintances was “Shami” because he came from Damascus (a-Sham). In 1934 he joined the Haganah. A year later, the family moved to Kiryat Haim and Avraham served in the Hanoar Haoved branch and was also a Haganah instructor, especially in matters of contact. In March 1938 he was among the participants in the aliya to Hanita and took part in its defense on the first night of the attack on the new spot. He continued to actively assist Hanita’s first men in work and defense. On April 16, 1938, on his way home, he and his friend were attacked by a group of Arab rioters and the two were shot and killed. Avraham was laid to rest in the cemetery in Haifa.