Laska, Michael

Was born in the town of Mishnitz, northwest Poland, from a Hasidic family and from his childhood was educated in the Torah and Zionism, where he studied in the “cheder” and excelled in the Talmud. Michael was accepted to the BILU school and passed the examinations in Jewish studies with honors. He was a Betar member from his youth, and when he grew up, he joined the Irgun and became a Betar instructor when the movement was banned by the authorities. Michael fell in battle over the Manshiyya neighborhood, in northern Jaffa during a retreat, when he was left to take care of the wounded man, and was absent. Two days later his body was returned. He was murdered and was not shot, on April 25, 1948, before he was 18 years old. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery at Nahalat Yitzhak.