Nitzan, Aryeh (Arik)

Aryeh (Arik), son of Ruth and Israel, was born on December 3, 1953, in a group of shifts. He attended elementary school in shifts and later went on to high school at the “Aloni Yitzhak” educational institution. As a child Erik was busy studying, but in high school he did not like studying very much. There were subjects, such as grammar and Hebrew, in which he did well without much toil. There were subjects in which he took matriculation exams and passed examinations. As for the other subjects, he did not make any effort to claim that since he would remain in the agriculture, he did not need a matriculation certificate. From childhood, Arik had a passion for flora and fauna, and when he was in fourth grade, he even wrote a “Talk to the Children” list called “A Conversation with Nachlieli”. Arik was a member of the youth brigade of the Ahad Ha’avuts and Kibbutzim. He loved music and during school he played the flute and learned to play mandolin. He was a sports fan, played volleyball and soccer, loved the sea and was a sailboat. Arik loved to travel and traveled the country on a bicycle, with his friends or on trips to the youth brigade. He was also an avid fan of cars and in his youth he learned to drive a tractor and a jeep. By nature it was quiet and withdrawn; He did not talk much and was shy about his attitude toward the girls. He preferred to be withdrawn with his problems and never complained. On the other hand, he was a wonderful listener and pleasant to talk to. Kindness was and much help others. He was handsome and smiling, with intelligent green eyes and a curly hairy hair, full of life and loving life. According to his teacher, he was pursuing justice, and did not talk much about values, but lived them. He always aspired to get to the bottom of things and not content himself with conventions. Since then, he was a ninth-grade student who worked at Shlachin and excelled in his willingness to work, and in his work interests, and because of them he worked much more than others. His superiors knew he could be trusted and hoped that in the future he would get better and take over the profession altogether. Arik loved the kibbutz and saw it as his home. Even when he came for vacations from the army, he always asked if he needed his help and was Simcha to go to work. Like many of his contemporaries, he wanted to see the world and planned to travel abroad after completing his regular service. Arik was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early November 1971. After completing basic training and completing a tank training course and a tank commander course, he was appointed commander of a tank in the Armored Corps in Sinai, and during the Yom Kippur War he was with his unit in Sinai. On October 6, 1973, the first day of the war, he was hit and killed. At first his burial place was not known, but four years later his body was identified and he was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in his kibbutz. Survived by his parents, brother and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. His kibbutz published a booklet in his memory of friends, teachers and family members, as well as excerpts from his letters and a list he wrote as a child.