Sidon, Avshalom

Son of Shmuel and Hannah. He was born on December 7, 1935 in Petah Tikva. While we were still young, his parents moved to Ramat Yitzhak, which was at the beginning of its construction. When Avshalom came to school, he attended the Berl Katznelson Elementary School in Givatayim. Was a good student, an excellent athlete and a loyal friend. When he was 12 years old, he joined the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed branch, and after completing his high school studies at the Kalai School, he began working at the tax office in Ramat Gan, in August 1953, in accordance with the education he received at his home and the youth movement. Within the framework of a group of “settlers” is found in the group Degania Aleph and Hulda. After his discharge from the army, he was a member of the “Mishmar David” group, where he was able to see the realization of his childhood dream – that he was a superb and responsible tractor. His hobby was acting on stage and with a small group of friends he established a theater company in Mishmar David and its performances reached a high level. In 1955 he was accepted to the drama school near Habima, where he studied for two years. Avshalom also acquired a broad education on various subjects by studying in his own right. In 1960, Avshalom participated in the first course of the IBM program and succeeded in it. He was a member of the central pension fund of the Histadrut and was responsible for the mechanization department. This work required initiative on his part and the pursuit of extraordinary solutions. During that period his personality and interests grew far beyond his framework. He saw the enormous possibility of mechanization and therefore learned and read everything that was possible in this area. His satisfaction with work made him more friendly than he was and full of energy and initiative. In those days the economic burden on him was relieved and he could not only turn to his family – his wife and his two small children – but also returned to the old hobby of acting in an amateur theater. He also found leisure in sports, especially swimming. He was highly respected for his devotion and responsibility for work and his strong desire was to continue his studies in this field. From time to time he went to reserve duty and was among the first to be called to the Six Day War. This period was difficult for the entire family, since the tension in those days was unbearable. On the last Saturday before he fell, he was on holiday and spent the night in a house of joy and a lot of things from his unit – but on the second day of the war, he was on the 27th of Iyar 5727 (June 6, 1967). He left a wife and two sons, and the other was full, but about a year and a quarter. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Every year, shortly before the outbreak of the Six-Day War, his family, together with a representative of the Ministry of Defense and the municipality, organizes a swimming competition in his memory – a popular enterprise of great value to the sport – including the children of Avshalom who took pride in their father. His memory was raised in the Information Bulletin and the local life of the Givatayim municipality and in the “Book of the Fallen” published by the municipality.