Weimar, Michael (Michael from Hanegev)

Son of Claire and Moritz was born on April 3, 1920, in the city of Herlingen, Germany. His father, who was a doctor, died four months before his birth and therefore grew up in a children’s home and later in a children’s village founded by his widowed mother. When the Nazis came to power, the Mossad was transferred from Germany to England, and Michael continued his studies and acquired first knowledge of agriculture and chicken coop. He was a member of the British Scouts Association. When he was 16, he immigrated to Israel. Because he came from an assimilated environment, his absorption in Israel was very difficult. He had a tendency to meteorology, worked in this profession as an amateur, and his work attracted the attention of an expert in this field. When he came to Israel he worked for a year in agriculture, and in the years 1937-1944 – as a meteorologist in the Lod, Ramle and Haifa airports. He liked his profession most. Afterward, he joined Kibbutz Alonim, but due to the lack of a company of his peers, he left the kibbutz and joined Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev. Where he helped establish a meteorological station and was interested in artificial rain problems. Michael enlisted in the Israel Air Force, and after completing a pilot course, Gedolot worked as a pilot in transporting supplies to the Negev settlements by air; Served as commander-in-chief of the Negev bases. “The fate of the Hebrew war planes – in the October 1948 system – depended on ‘Michael’s airport,'” the commander of the squadron testified. His blue-green eyes glowed as he spoke of the Negev, its value and its difficulties and future. Aroused confidence in his integrity and perseverance. Treat man and every animal with great love. A nature lover and a naturalist. At the age of three, he abstained from eating meat and was a vegetarian all his life. On October 24, 1948, shortly before midnight, he took off from Sde Dov in Tel Aviv toward Sodom with a supply load. Ten minutes after take off, the right engine of his plane went up in flames. The plane changed direction, apparently in an attempt to reach the Tel Nof emergency landing site. The plane exploded in the air near a group of foundations near Tel Nof and crashed on the ground. All the crew members perished and Michael among them. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Rehovot. After being shot down, he was granted the rank of airborne officer (lieutenant).