Englander, Akiva
Son of Rachel and Nehemiah, was born on January 27, 1914 in the city of Kismaryk, Czechoslovakia. He received a popular education and at an early age was transferred to agricultural training in a remote village in the Transcarpathian region. Although he came to the village without any knowledge of agriculture, he quickly learned to plow and reap and became one of the main workers in the training group. He was also an outstanding athlete and a man of action in all his ways. When he immigrated to Israel in May 1936 he worked in the Pardesi Petah Tikva and in the outbreak of 1936-1939 he joined the Hagana and took part in the defense of the settlement. When the religious group was organized in Pardes Hanna, he joined it and later went to Kibbutz Beerot Yitzhak at the gates of Gaza. Here he was mainly engaged in farming, because the orchard attracted his Lev. Several times he was the center of the agriculture and a branch manager. Akiva actively participated in the group’s life and discussions, and shared its daily concerns. At the same time he devoted himself to educating his children and devoted most of his spare time to them. He took part in a number of Hagana courses and excelled in the last course for regional commanders in the Negev. In the battle for Be’erot Yitzhak, he was the deputy commander of the region. On the 15th of Tammuz 5708 (July 15, 1948) the Egyptians attacked the kibbutz with infantry and armored forces with the help of cannons and airplanes, and was wounded in three bullets in his lungs. He left a wife and three children on the 20th of Cheshvan 5710 (31.10.1950) and was transferred to the eternal military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
