Ben Rina and Yosef. He was born on April 5, 1970, in Kibbutz Kfar Szold, in the midst of a Katyusha rocket attack on the Upper Galilee. The eldest son of a family of three sons. As a child, the family lived in Yavniel and when he was five years old he moved to Tiberias, where his mother worked as a teacher and educator. Avshalom studied in Tiberias at the Ehrlich Elementary School and at the Amal High School in Physics. He excelled in his studies and a lot of reading, especially in war books and military history. He is a clever, quiet and introverted boy with a particularly high morality. In his youth he was a member of the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement. He did a lot of sports, especially athletics, tennis and basketball. In his spare time, he liked to paint and prose the guitar. He loved the songs of Arik Einstein, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Shlomo Artzi, Gali Atari, Shalom Hanoch and the songs of the military bands. When Avshalom was fourteen and the older brother of two younger brothers, Rina, their mother, died of a malignant disease. Two years later, she joined the Ivria family, the father’s girlfriend, and again a warm and loving family framework was created. At the end of July 1988, Avshalom was drafted into the IDF Infantry Brigade, where he was assigned to the Givati Brigade and began his military career as a combat soldier in the Shaked Battalion, after completing his basic training course. He finished the course with honors and went to a course for infantry officers. At all stages of the army, his father, Yossi, a retired IDF soldier, shared his doubts, was encouraged and supported, and Avshalom was appointed commander of the army and helped him choose his path. He completed his course with honors and was assigned to command of a company of recruits, which he commanded during the entire period of the route: At the end of a difficult and arduous period, Avshalom told his soldiers: “You passed. I hope that now, at the end of the track, you understand that the way to set high standards – both professionalism and discipline – is the way to succeed. … I hope that you will always demand from yourselves and your soldiers that you do not compromise on any small detail, because this is the only way to make our army better … “According to his commander, Avshalom brought his company to impressive achievements. Avshalom was promoted to captain. He assumed command of the brigade’s platoon, which he headed for operational operations in the Gaza Strip and in Avivim, on the Lebanese border. He was admired by his subordinates and loved by his commanders. In his last position he emerged as a man of brilliant personality, true leadership and ability to be determined and adhering to goals. On the capture of Hamas terrorist squad in the Gaza Strip, Avshalom and his company received a commendation. On August 6, 1994, Avshalom fell in a battle in Lebanon during an assault on Hezbollah terrorists during a patrol he commanded. With him was Sergeant Yevgeny Berezlavski. He was laid to rest in the military section of the cemetery in Yavne’el. At his request, he was buried next to his mother Rina. Survived by his father and two brothers – Ziv and Elad. He was twenty-four years old when he fell. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the unit commander wrote: “The brigade lost one of the best commanders who grew up in it, Avshalom, and your son, Captain Avshalom, was one of the outstanding company commanders in the brigade and the entire IDF. Avshalom was admired by the command staff of the battalion and brigade. His subordinates followed him when they knew that it was always possible to trust Avshalom. He educated his soldiers to the values of the warrior and was a role model for all his subordinates. “
