Orbuch, Mordechai (Johnny)

Son of Moshe. He was born in 1929 in the Ukraine and, after wandering around Poland, immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1935 and settled in Netanya where he completed his studies at the Tachkemoni School and later worked in a diamond factory and helped to support his family. He was very talented and diligent and was very fond of him because of his serious attitude toward work and his sense of humor, and at the age of fifteen he became sick of life in the city and joined the “Hanoar HaOved” company in Kibbutz Alonim. He was particularly good at harvesting, and gave a hand to load the hay, haul it and unload it In this name, because of his love for the “Tarzan” of those days (Johnny Weissmuller), he used to declare with a smile, “Tarzan will never fly.” All the members of the kibbutz admired and loved him for his great energy, simplicity, kindness and cheerfulness. After he spent two years at the youth club in Alonim, he went to Palmach training in Ein Harod. Despite the doctor’s determination that his health is poor and he must avoid hard work and training, Johnny insisted on continuing his activities until he surrendered and resumed his work at Kibbutz Alonim. However, he did not give up his participation in Palmach training groups, and on May 15, 1947, an explosion took place in the fields of Geva, in which Johnny was wounded by mortal wounds, and he was laid to rest in the Netanya cemetery. And notes about his character and his way of life were published in Haaretz, in the diary of Ein Harod, in the diary of Alonim and in the “Systems” journal.