Pietri, Mordechai (Marco)

Son of Julia and Adolf. He was born on July 12, 1903 in Fiume, a port city near Trieste, between Yugoslavia and Italy. He graduated from high school in his city and later specialized in bookkeeping. For eighteen years he worked as an accountant in a respected company and even gained a good public position in the local Italian Jewish community. In his youth he was orphaned from his father and later his mother became ill and contracted paralysis. Marco cared for her devotedly for seven years. And despite the troubles involved in dealing with this, he took part in the life of the Jewish community and became one of its financial supporters. He also served as the head of the Zionist Association in his city. In March 1939 he immigrated to Palestine and joined Kibbutz Givat Brenner. With great effort, he managed to study the green industry and worked there for five years at the kibbutz. Despite his broad education, knowledge of many languages ​​and the speed of his comprehension, Mordechai found it difficult to adapt the Hebrew language. He regularly attended Hebrew classes and used to get up early to do his homework, but his efforts did not help him acquire the language. His failure had clouded his authority in the kibbutz, but his loyalty to his friends in the area did not allow him to leave and find employment in the city. He apparently hoped that military service would help him to become a part of life in Israel and therefore decided to volunteer for the British Army. His friends wanted to dissuade him because of his age, but he insisted, turned to the kibbutz recruitment committee to approve his enlistment, and in the end they agreed. Mordechai enlisted in the Israeli infantry, the nucleus of the Jewish Brigade. On 24 Kislev, December 10, 1944, Mordechai fell during his service and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Kibbutz Givat Brenner. He left behind a son. His name was immortalized in the “Book of the Press” in the book “The Volunteer Book” and in the book “Yizkor” published by the Jabotinsky Institute.