Kirschenbaum, Avraham-Michoel

Avraham-Michoel, son of Miriam and Nissan Kirschenbaum, was born on September 19, 1925 in Jerusalem to ultra-Orthodox parents. He lived in Yemin Moshe. He studied at the “Etz Chaim” yeshiva and at the “Aluma” Torah school. For economic reasons he was forced to stop his studies and began working at the Gesher printing press. In this profession he saw a kind of continuation of his studies. From his youth he was an enthusiastic member of Haganah. On February 10, 1948, a fierce attack was carried out on the neighborhood of Yemin Moshe for six hours under the command of Awad al-Qusma, the commander of the district gangs, and the attack was opened from the Jaffa Gate and about 50 Arabs managed to reach the extremist positions (Beit Abdullah). Avraham-Michoel arrived at the area headquarters to announce that he was wounded, and when he was carried on a stretcher he was hit by another bullet and died two days later on February 12, 1948. In this battle he became the legendary hero of the neighborhood, and many prayed in public prayers for his recovery. He served as a model for his comrades, soldiers and commanders. He was buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. His name was engraved on the monument erected in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in memory of those who perished in the Jewish Quarter and the memory of soldiers who fell in the battle for Jerusalem and were buried on the Mount of Olives.