Kima, Ovadia (Oved)

Ovadia (Oved) was born in 1947 in Amarah, Iraq, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1951. He studied at an elementary school in Pardes Hanna, in the Masada elementary school in Jerusalem, and continued his studies in high school – Ovadia was a very enthusiastic sports fan and was one of the members of Hapoel’s youth team in Jerusalem, where he read adventure books and traveled around the country. After a training period, he was assigned to a corps unit in which he was considered a good soldier, loved by his commanders and fond of his friends for his good temperament and sincere friendship. He took part in many reprisals and pursuits and went through the War of Attrition on the banks of the Suez Canal. For his participation in the war in 1967 he was awarded the “Six Day War Award”. During his entire service he tried not to worry his parents and often wrote home, but did not tell much about the difficult training and field life so as not to upset his family. Ovadia worked in the “Beit Shemesh Engines” factory and later as an elevator technician, and was diligent and energetic. Oved was well versed in his work and knew how to do his work faithfully. According to his friends he was punctual, entrepreneurial, performed every role assigned to him and had a desire to succeed in whatever he did. His superiors praised him for his perseverance, his energy and his great responsibility. Ovadia was friendly, pleasant to talk to and easy to make friends with. He was fond of his friends for his good temperament, his simplicity, his patience and his indulgence. He was humble and kind, always willing to help anyone with advice and practice. His friends remember him as a model host who welcomes everyone with a smile and a joke. In early 1973 he married his girlfriend Perla. He was a loyal son of his parents, a devoted and loving husband to his wife and loved by all his family. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Ovadia was recruited and sent with his unit to the front in the Golan Heights. On the 13th of Tishrei 5734 (October 9, 1973), his unit left at night to join the battalion’s forces. On the way she encountered an ambush by Syrian soldiers, and in the ensuing battle, Corporal Ovadia was injured and killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. He left behind a wife, parents, three brothers and four sisters. His daughter, who was born after his fall bears his name – Ovedet. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “During the fall of Ovadia in this war, you lost a loved one, and we, his comrades in the unit, lost a dear and dedicated friend. In his death, he gave the people life and Israel the right to exist. “