Gaon, Mordechai

Mordechai ben Roza and Yosef was born on January 18, 1941, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, was drafted into the IDF in mid-October 1959 and assigned to the parachute Nahal Brigade, where he served in the Kerem Shalom settlement. He continued to serve as a noncommissioned sergeant in the paratroopers unit, and during his parachuting course his father passed away and then underwent a difficult period, but he insisted and completed the parachuting course. In training and practice, he never gave up and always stood up to the tasks, even if sometimes more than his powers However, he disliked the system of duties imposed by the army on his servants, so he never aspired to be in command, and he was careful to play the role of simple soldier with loyalty and responsibility. And character traits that made him unique among his friends in the army, he was also gifted with an extraordinary sense of humor, sharp and witty, and his pleasant temperament, optimism and gentleness earned him many friends and never quarreled with his friends. His calmness and peace of mind did not abandon him for a moment, even during the most difficult periods of the war. After his discharge from the regular service, Dudu moved to serve in the unit of the Haganah, because of an operation that was done on his shoulder, so he fought in the Six Day War not in his mother unit. After the war he asked, despite the physical difficulties involved, to return to serve in the paratroopers unit, where he continued his reserve service and continued to drop as part of the training. Dudu returned to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and chose to work in the citrus grove. In this work he excelled mainly in planning, execution, and solving various problems that arose during the course of the work. In 1964 he married his girlfriend Mira, and eventually they had two children – Micha and Zohar. His uncle was a wonderful husband and father and devoted many hours to his wife and children, patiently, devotedly and lovingly, who were well known in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. He managed to establish a unique relationship with his son Micah, a bond based on mutual admiration, on multiple conversations as adults and on the peopleCommon challenges to father and son. After years of living in the agriculture, one of Dudu’s dreams came true – he was sent to study at the School of Practical Engineering at Tel Aviv University. At first he found it difficult to return to school after so many years, but he managed to overcome his difficulties by virtue of his enormous capacity for perseverance. He insisted on understanding what he had learned to the core, and often argued with his teachers. He learned very hard – and sometimes sat until the wee hours to complete his studies. After successfully completing his two years of study, he joined the electronics factory of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai by profession – electronics engineer. In the Yom Kippur War, Dudu fought on the Golan Heights front against the Syrians. During the occupation of the Syrian Hermon outpost on 26 October 1979, he was injured in an exchange of fire with Syrian commandos and was killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery at Yad Mordechai. He left behind a wife, son and daughter, mother and brother. After his fall, he was promoted to corporal. Kibbutz Yad Mordechai published a pamphlet in his memory, which includes the words of friends about his character in the kibbutz, in the army and in his private life.