Avraham Abarzel, the son of Albert and Diamantine, was born on 4th May 1925 in Constantine, Algeria, the eldest of ten siblings. When he was still a child, the family moved to France and settled in the town of Saint-Font. At both elementary and technical schools he was amongst the best pupils. He qualified as a mechanic with flying colors, and enjoyed his work, happy to be able to help support his family. He did everything in his power to assist them and worried constantly about their welfare.
During the Nazi occupation of France, although not personally affected, he did learn what it was to be a Jew. When Israel’s War of Independence broke out, he was incited and wanted to be mobilized into the service of his homeland. He left his place of work in the spring of 1948 to volunteer for the IDF.
Arriving in Israel on 27th March 1948, he immediately joined the IDF, and later transferred to the French Commando Company of the Palmach Hanegev’s 9th Battalion.
He was mortally wounded in the battle for the capture of Beersheba on 21st October 1948, and was evacuated to Kibbutz Dorot, where he died the next day. He was buried at Kibbutz Dorot, and was re-interred on 4th May 1950 at the Nachlat Yitzhak military cemetery.
Source: Translated from the Yizkor website by Joe Woolf.