Ben Amit and Rafael. He was born on October 28, 1977, at the Carmel Hospital in Haifa. A younger brother to Orly and Meirav. Avishai was a handsome boy who stood out in his blond-gold hair and beauty. At the age of two he was photographed for an advertisement for a baby goods store. The favorite boy in the family, who always spoiled and enjoyed being with him, and his older sisters enjoyed playing with him. Avishai grew up in Kiryat Motzkin. He began his studies at the Ben Gurion elementary school and graduated cum laude in the theoretical class of the sports track at the ORT vocational school in Motzkin. His kindness and personality always surrounded him as many friends and he stood out from his childhood as a social leader. In elementary and high school he was a member of the student council. Already in second grade, Avishai was very interested in sports and he joined the Kiryat Motzkin basketball school and was a member of the young league teams in Katsal. Upon moving to high school, he moved to the field of basketball as part of Maccabi Ironi Motzkin. Within a short time, he became the outstanding player and was appointed captain of the team. Volunteering for each task and helping others was his outstanding feature. He loved to help people, especially the weak public. When he was in 10th grade, he began teaching children from distressed families and immigrant children to a day school in Kiryat Motzkin, helped them with their homework, played and guided them with physical activity. Avishai was very attached to them and they went to him, and he stayed with them even after the hours of activity, taking care of all their needs. During the summer vacation of 1993, Avishai went to Germany and France with the sports class of the ORT school, as part of a youth exchange. The students formed friendships with local youth and received reciprocal visits the following summer. Avishai was devoted and very close to his family. His father, Rafi, talks about the unusual connection between them. They would consult with each other and discuss together and the son gave his father no less than the father to his son. His mother, Amit, talks about her relationship with Avishai, which was based on love, help and support. Despite his youth, he “absorbed” her in all situations and took into account her feelings. When Avishai arrived in Israel for a two-week trip abroad, he traveled to Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria for two weeks, and his parents were told that the pleasure of the trip was twice that of Avishai. Before returning to the base, Avishai left in his room a congratulatory letter: “To the most charming parents in the world, you will continue to be perfect and supportive parents, because I truly love you and you are the most important to me / I am proud of you for raising me. … to father, continue to be such a supportive and loving man, because it is very important for me to enjoy the year and many more years. / And mother, you have no idea how much I love you, The thank you that I’m this far because of you … / No matter where I’ll always will respect you and I always come back to you. / .. love you / Avishai. “His sister, Merav, says:” Avishai was a brother-friend about. As a brother he was perfect, as a son of parents he was a perfect son and if he had to be my friend, he was a perfect friend. Avishai, as a brother, had priorities. The family was the first thing he thought about and he expressed it very strongly. On the day of my marriage, he was to be drafted into the naval commando. The commando was the dream of his life-and he gave up the opportunity to be accepted into the unit to attend my wedding. With this concession for me, he showed us how perfect he was. I do not remember ever being angry at him. Avishai had a friend and it was expressed openly and willingly to be with each other all the time. Even when I got married and left the house, we kept in close contact. When I was abroad, he eAlways send personal letters and tell all kinds of experiences. “When his sister in Chile sent her a decorated cigarette for her birthday and asked her to light it at midnight, according to Israeli time, he would also light a cigarette in Israel. With Orly, the eldest sister and her family, Abishi had a close connection, and every Friday evening, the whole family dined together on the parents’ table, Idan’s son, Idan, who loved Idan songs, took him for walks and played on the playground. They would roll together on the big bed, in Grandma and Grandpa’s room, hugging under the blanket and watching television together. , Orly, a week before the disaster, when Avishai arrived on vacation, did not wait to receive the car and went to visit them on buses and hitchhiking with a gift for a baby girl and a gift for Idan, who devoted his attention to Idan and then to the baby. To his parents during their visit to the United States and Panama, where his uncles live. For a month he spent an extraordinary time enjoying himself and before his return to Israel, promised his cousins after his discharge from the IDF a longer visit: As an outstanding athlete, Avishai was able to serve in the army so that he could pursue a sporting career. In November 1995 Avishai joined the IDF and volunteered to serve in the Golani Brigade. The service in a combat unit was taken for granted years before he was drafted. Avishai loved the Golani service and was the driving force in the unit. He had extraordinary physical strength and strength. He was a Magist. In addition to the personal equipment, he dragged the mag and the chains of bullets, and it was not difficult for him. He always smiled and encouraged his friends. Two months before the disaster, during the Shabbat vacation, Abishi learned that his friends had boarded a bomb in Lebanon. After visiting the hospital he decided that he would return to his unit immediately and said: “… my guys are in a bad mood, I can not stay home.” It was impossible to arrive on Shabbat to Lebanon, and he called the friends and encouraged them, and his head was not in the house but in the unit. His commander, Michael, relates: “Avishai was a fighter, a Magist, a positive figure in the company, he led the company, initiated and did many things for others … We planned to go to an officer’s course and be a commander.” On the evening of the 28th of Shvat 577 (February 4, 1997), the helicopter disaster occurred when two Yasur helicopters collided over Moshav Shear Yashuv. The seventy-three fighters, who made their way to operational activity in Lebanon, were killed, among them Sergeant Avishai Gidron. He was nineteen when he fell. He was brought to rest in the military section of the Tzur Shalom cemetery. Survived by his parents and two sisters. After his demise he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, and after his withdrawal from Lebanon, Avishai was to receive the “Outstanding Soldier Medal”.
