Shapira, Otniel

Otniel was born on June 20, 1933 in Vienna, Austria, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1938. He attended the Bilu elementary school in Tel Aviv, spent a year in the village son of-Shemen, and later went on to study at the Geula High School in Tel Aviv, where she grew up in Tel Aviv, where Otniel grew up, and despite his being an only child, his parents encouraged him to become independent. His parents sent him to study in a religious school in order to provide him with basic values ​​in Judaism, even though their home was not a religious home, during which he was active in the Gadna and was in charge of a class. In addition, he was a member of the Scouts movement and went to camps and trips. From his youth he loved wrestling and as a young man even appeared as a wrestler in a public competition with Rafael Halperin. For a while he also practiced lifting weights. He loved riding horses, and for many years was a member of Gordon’s riding club. His great love for many trips is to travel and visit various places around the country. After graduating from high school, and before he was drafted into the army, he helped his parents in their shop. According to his friends, he was always willing to help others with advice and action and was very popular and acceptable to his friends. He had a special talent for trading and business. Otniel was drafted into the IDF at the end of April 1951. After completing basic training, he was assigned to a vehicle at a training base, and was asked to be transferred to the Military Police Corps, and after a while he completed his request. He served in the Sinai Campaign and was later promoted to the rank of sergeant, as a criminal investigation investigator, and was appointed as a military policeman in a company of the Military Police. He was very fond of his work in the MPCID Did the best job. According to his friends in the unit, he was one of the best military police investigators, excelled in his talents and diligence and did great work. He served all over the country, from the Golan Heights to Sinai. Otniel loved the army, so he helped his son get accepted to a military boarding school. He worked hard to give his son an excellent education and did all he could for his success. After he was released he returned to work with his father in his shop, because he had been offered several important positions. He entered into a partnership with his father, knowing that his father had trouble managing the business alone. Otniel was an active member of the Young Guard of the General Zionist Federation. He was often elected as a member of the Vaad and frequently participated in and organized many meetings and parties on behalf of the General Zionists. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Otniel appeared in his unit before he was called. According to his commander, he said that at such an hour he could not help but be with his friends. He was sent to do his job and as usual, devoted himself to working with all his soul and devoted all his energies to it. After the war he was promoted to the rank of First Sergeant and served as a researcher in the military police unit in Fayyad, west of the Suez Canal. On October 23, 1974, Otniel fell in the line of duty in the area of ​​Feid. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left behind a wife, a son and a father. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Your son was one of the best and most devoted researchers, and his work was an example to others in terms of dedication and knowledge.”