Morforgo, Mordechai (Marco)

Mordechai, son of Emilia and Chaim, Morforgo was born on December 23, 1920, in the city of Padova, Italy, to a religious and Zionist family. He grew up in his hometown and succeeded in his studies. In 1938-1939, when the first training courses for Italian pioneers were established, he left the university and joined them, waiting for the immigration permit. In the meantime, Italy joined the war with Nazi Germany, and all his efforts to immigrate failed. Eventually, he was allowed to immigrate to Israel with a small group of pioneers, and he arrived in Palestine on Pesach 5705. He joined the Sdei Eliyahu group in Beit Shaan, where he became addicted to the fishing industry and to a lesser extent to security matters. With the outbreak of the War of Independence, he was the commander of a post in Sdei Eliyahu. He also continued to manage the industry. He was a member of the Culture Committee and filled many positions in the agriculture. He fell on the 25th of Tamuz 5708 (August 1, 1948), after being hit by two machine-gun bullets in his head while trying to conquer the Tel-Atom outpost in the vicinity of Sdei Eliyahu. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Tirat Zvi. He left behind a wife and two daughters. His brother Uri, who fought for the liberation of Haifa, fell about four months earlier.