Leibowitz, Harold-Zvi
Son of Mandy and Yehudit. He was born on 7.10.1946 in South Africa. He was very musical, and while he was too young he performed in concerts and won gold medals. In his youth he was a member of the Habonim youth movement. In July 1967 he immigrated to Israel and was among dozens of disgruntled and disappointed volunteers who were late in the war. Like many people who came from abroad, he escaped after the Six-Day War to help the Yishuv, because he was full of energy, faith and enthusiasm and was fascinated by everything he saw. Harold was the first member of his extended family to join the country, and they hoped that he would pave the way for many others from South Africa who would like to immigrate to Israel. One of the friends they met at Kibbutz Givat Brenner spoke to him about “a people in the homeland” after two thousand years of exile, and soon the idea sparkled in his Lev, and he lit the great fire in his Lev. Then he found out – and he was still volunteering in those days – that he found his place on the kibbutz. At first he wanted to complete the six months he had signed with him when he left for Palestine, and he was the only one of the volunteers to do so. During these months his decision was formulated and when it was time for him to return to South Africa at the end of the volunteer period he was already familiar with the kibbutz and he decided to stay. He saw challenges that gave him a taste of his life, and in his honesty and honesty he understood that he had a duty to fulfill the commandments incumbent on every Jew, and certainly the obligation to serve in the army. Studying Hebrew in the ulpan was not one of the easiest things, but he did. Zvi was drafted into the IDF in late July 1968. He did not complain much about his service and about the hardships in the army’s life, never once complaining that he saw the service as an elementary duty and during his vacations he met with the members of the kibbutz, and they were always Simcha to meet him. He loved children and knew how to devote a large part of his time to them – especially during his vacations, and enjoyed playing the accordion before his friends, as he did during his time as a volunteer before deciding to settle in the kibbutz. Golan, and in July and August he served in the Canal Zone. Near the Suez Canal he was hit by an enemy bullet and put an end to his plans and dreams to build his home in a country he so loved. On September 19, 1969, it was brought to rest in the cemetery at Kibbutz Tzora in the Jerusalem corridor, which was founded by immigrants from South Africa. Kibbutz Tzora published a booklet in his memory called “Harold”.