Kritzman, Avraham (Avi)

Son of Yocheved and Meir was born on December 6, 1912, in the city of Chicago, United States. In 1921, at age 9, he immigrated to Israel with his parents, who settled in Tel Aviv. During the 1929 riots he joined the “Ha-Hugim” movement, later known as the “Mahanot Ha’olim”. At the beginning of the War of Independence, Avraham held guard positions in Holon and on May 25, 1948, was drafted into the army and served in the Keeryati Brigade in liaison positions. On June 11, 1948, the day before the start of the first truce, he was sent from the course in Zrifin to a library area, to stop the enemy’s daring attack on Zrifin and Yehudia. Avraham was sent to the front in the burglary class with a wireless device. When the squad was ambushed and the connection was severed, Avraham gathered the grenades and fought until the last minute, until the enemy’s bullet pierced his temple on teh 4th of Sivan, June 11, 1948. He was laid to rest in the Nachlat Yitzhak military cemetery. Avraham left behind a wife and tw children.