Written by Meir Mizrahi, Petah Tikva, 21 July 2010
This is the story of a relative. The photograph was taken from a Yiddish-language newspaper published in 1929.
All the details recorded here are as I heard them from my father, Rafael, and from Abraham’s sister, Tova Ben-Ami, both of whom are no longer alive. If anyone has additional information, I would be glad to hear it. They were all speakers of Lishan Didan.
Abraham Mizrahi was born in Tiflis. In 1921 he immigrated to the Land of Israel with his parents, Yehezkel and Esther Mizrahi, his brother Rafael, and his sister Tova. They lived in Jerusalem’s Old City. Several years later, another son, Shimon Mizrahi, was born. He was born in the neighborhood of Shimon HaTzadik, and was therefore named Shimon. Incidentally, Rafael Mizrahi was my father; I also have two brothers, Yehezkel and Amnon.
Abraham Mizrahi studied at Porat Yosef Yeshiva. In 1929, on Shabbat in the month of Av, Abraham and his father Yehezkel were returning from the synagogue. This was near a football field. Arabs were causing a disturbance, apparently during a demonstration or something similar, and one of them ran up and stabbed Abraham with a knife. May his soul rest in peace. The mourning was heavy. His father could not remain in Jerusalem, and the family decided to move to Petah Tikva, to Pinsker Street. My grandfather Yehezkel served for several years as the gabbai of the synagogue on Bar Kokhba Street in Petah Tikva. In 1950 he returned his soul to his Creator, and a year later his wife, my grandmother Esther, also died. They are buried in Segula, Petah Tikva.
Abraham Mizrahi was buried on the Mount of Olives. After the War of Independence, the Jordanians removed gravestones and used them for other purposes. After the Six-Day War, I traveled with my aunt Tova Ben-Ami to find the location of the grave. We found nothing. I inquired with the burial society, but the place of his burial was still not found. We know only the date of his murder: 15 Menachem Av 5689 (1929).
Anyone who remembers or has heard about this story as an adult: I would be grateful for any information or response.
Meir Mizrahi, Petah Tikva