Arieh (Arik), son of Shoshana and Mordechai, was born on September 28, 1942 in Kibbutz Sdot Yam. He attended elementary school in his kibbutz and Kibbutz Ein Tzvi. Afterward he continued to study at the ORT high school in Kibbutz Afikim. Eric was a diligent student, quiet and modest. Already in his youth, he had a developed technical sense and liked to invent various “patents”. He was prominent in his figure, tall and broad-shouldered, and later with an impressive beard. His main qualities were simplicity and goodness. He had common sense and great intelligence and had a clear charm and was evidently very kind. He also excelled in a personal example, always willing to help others and to listen attentively to every needy person, with a bright and good-willed face. Arik was a typical Farmer, Farmer and Field Man at the height of his limbs, and his love for the land was expressed in the concentration of the field crops and the field, which he performed with special skill and knowledge to carry out all kinds of work, from the simplest to the most complex. 1961 and assigned to the Ordnance Corps. At first he wanted to volunteer for the Paratroopers Brigade, and after that he wanted to go to the navy as a submarine, but he continued to serve in the Ordnance Corps. After completing basic training, he completed a basic officer course, followed by a training course for armament officers, and was assigned as an armament officer in the 35th Brigade. He continued his training in a parachuting course, an air force course and a driving course. After completing his compulsory army service, he served in the regular army for five months, and his commanders testified that he was an officer of courage and initiative, and after his discharge he was awarded the ” Six Day War. “After he finished his term His colleagues in the work show that his successes in the factory stemmed not only from the professional knowledge he acquired, but from his ability and his wonderful willingness to deal with any problem, even the most complex one, with his devotion to the goal and dedication He was a devoted husband to his wife and shared all the experiences his children had undergone: During the Yom Kippur War, Arik’s brigade was assigned to penetrate enemy ranks and conquer a bridgehead, an important stage in the operation of our forces. As the division’s armaments officer, he was responsible for assembling armored vehicles and the last supply of ammunition to the troops. When the brigade began constructing the bridgehead, the Egyptians located the site and began shelling our forces without stopping for several days. On October 21, 1973, Arik was hit by a direct hit by Katyushas, which landed on his brigade and fell in battle. He was laid to rest in the cemetery at Kibbutz Ma’ayan Zvi. He left behind a wife and three children, parents, brother and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to the rank of Major. His commanders and fellow fighters testify that he was a loyal and devoted commander, who created an atmosphere of security and peace between the fighters. One of his commanders said about him: “His gentleness and innocence, his open and promising gaze, gave an atmosphere of pleasantness to everyone.” In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, to his widow and children, his commander wrote: “Arik was loved by all of us, his commanders, friends and subordinates … We saw him as a symbol of good and integrity, responsibility and courage.” Kibbutz Ma’ayan Zvi published a pamphlet called “Am HaBanim” in memory of the four kibbutz members who fell in the battle, and Arik among them. The booklet contains the words of friends about his character, memories, letters and photographs.
