Avner, son of Bronia and Gad, was born on February 16, 1951, in Kfar Ruppin. He studied in the regional elementary school and continued his high school studies at the joint school in Neve Eitan. Avner was taller and bigger sized than the rest of his contemporaries, and so he used to connect with older children. From an early age, he discovered his talent for painting and then began to work with graphics, with the intention of learning the subject. He was an outstanding athlete, at a young age he s won first prizes at swimming competitions, and also served as goalkeeper of the local football team. He was a good student at the school and excelled in mathematics, nature, and the Bible, along with his friends was a member of the local youth division, but he enjoyed his spare time with his family, who was very attached to them. Of innocence and childishness, he hated violence and never used his great power for domineering purposes, his classmates said: “Avner was always the greatest. In the classroom, the teachers demanded more from him. When we did a subtraction, he had already done the next action. The guys from Maoz would come to see the “wonder” from Kfar Ruppin. At first, they did not believe that this big boy with the amazing athletic ability was really our age. We had to prove it in documents. Avner had challenges. He knew he was being expected. He did not devote much of his studies to the studies, but when he perceived something, he did it very thoroughly. He was very quiet. Sometimes it seemed he was not listening to the lessons, but he had always been discovered at the right moment as a great master. We treated him as someone who belonged to the generation of giants, not only because of his height, but also because of his personality. What amazed him was his natural and simple humility. There was a tremendous contrast between his size and his quietness and modesty. His inner image did not suit his external appearance. ” Avner was drafted into the IDF in mid-February 1970. During his service, he took a parachuting course and took part in dangerous operations. His friends in the unit said: “Two things stood out for Avner – his tremendous physical strength and kindness – he had a heart of gold, delicate and sensitive, always peaceful and radiating peace of mind about the environment. When it was bed time he would stand on the bed and yell: “Avner is dying to sleep, Avner is dying to sleep.” Then he would wrap himself in a sheet and fall asleep, and in the army we called him “Jabel” and he was pleased, and sometimes he spoke of himself as “Jabel.” when they had to clean the guns, everyone cheated a bit, Avner cleaned every part of it, the matter of the orders was a legend, everyone was running around, trying to finish quickly and be ready, and Avner would sit in shorts, clean the weapon, He was always calm in his peace, and … he came to order in time, and sometimes his calmness was limp and he would behave as if he were cut off from the world, Avner always said what he thought, “The commander was very pleased and invited him to another conversation, and at every moment his passion for art stood out, and before the tent he painted a cyclamen of pebbles, he painted everywhere That he can only, build chairs, create dolls, and what not. ” In mid-February 1973, after completing compulsory service, he returned to the kibbutz and asked for a short-term release. He wanted to serve as a security guard for El Al and to see the world. His request was accepted, and for half a year he flew around the world and to his delight there was no limit. During the Yom Kippur War, he served as a combat scout on the southern front. On the 8th of Tishrei 5734 (October 8, 1973), in the salt area near Beluzah, he was sent with his unit to rescue a pilot who had fallen in enemy territory. While he was still alive he was hit by shots and fell. He was laid to rest in the Ruppin village cemetery. Survived by his parents, brother, and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. In his letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Avner was one of our best men, as a person and as a warrior. “Avner was a partner in carrying out a large number of tasks essential to the security of the country, whose importance can not be measured, and thanks to fighters like him, the unit was able to withstand the difficult challenges in the best possible way.” The Kfar Ruppin group together with his family published a large and magnificent booklet in his memory, including his letters, paintings and the words of friends and relatives of a character
