Morduff, Matityahu

Son of Avigail and Mordechai, was born in 1913 in the city of Herat, Afghanistan, and in 1931 immigrated to Palestine with his parents and two brothers. The family settled in Jerusalem. Matityahu began to work in mosaics and with his wages supported the family. He studied Hebrew fluently and in writing, joined the Histadrut and was aware of what was going on in Israel. Matityahu managed to save his salary, bought a taxi and continued to work as a driver. He joined the Haganah, and during the bloody riots of 1936-1939 he was active with his car in Yemin Moshe, ready to serve in dangerous positions, risking his body and his car, his source of income. In the winter of 1948, with the outbreak of the War of Independence after the UN General Assembly resolution on partition, he volunteered to transport residents of Talpiot in his car. On one of the trips Arabs attacked him, burned his car and seriously injured him in the head. With the help of a British policeman, he was brought to a hospital and after he was cured, he continued to serve as a driver in the Haganah headquarters. Filled many dangerous positions even outside his service as a driver, which was also quite dangerous. When our forces attacked Sheikh Jarrah, he acted like a saboteur. He also served in the mobile company. On the first day of Sivan 5708 (June 8, 1948), on his return to service after a short vacation, he was killed by a shell near his parents’ home in the Bukharan neighborhood. ) Was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.