Mansbach, Zvi

Zvi (Zvika), son of Shoshana and Uri, was born on October 29, 1953, in the village of Yavne’el in the Galilee. When he was two, his family moved to Kiryat Haim, where he attended the Revivim elementary school. Zvika was a member of the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement and was a member of the high school shooting club. He was a sports fan, mainly interested in basketball and a lot of practice and play within the framework of his school. He was an art lover and a subscriber at the Haifa Municipal Theater, where he often watched various shows. He also liked to read books, especially good literature. But most of all he liked being with the family. He preferred to sit in the bosom of his family rather than spend time with boys his own ag. In his relations with his friends he excelled in his willingness to help others. He never avoided participating in the troubles and problems of his friends and was therefore loved by all. Zvi was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early February 1972 and assigned to the Armored Corps, where he trained in tank artillery and became a tank gunner, and he changed his character from boy to man. He did not complain about his conditions of service and his daily difficulties, so as not to upset his parents. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Zvika’s unit went up to the battle zone to participate in the battle. The battle was cruel, and in the face of them were few against many, Zvika’s unit fought the waves of the enemy tanks that stormed them. On the 11th day of Tishrei 5734 (October 7, 1973) Zvika was killed in a battle in the region of Hoshenia. He was survived by his parents, brother and sister, and after his fall, he was awarded the rank of sergeant, and his parents published a pamphlet in his memory, which included the words of friends about his character.