Yosef Avidar

Yosef Aluf Avidar (1906-1995) was an Israeli statesman, Haganah commander, author and ambassador to Argentina and the Soviet Union.[1]

Yosef Avidar

Early life

Avidar was born in 1906 as Yosef Rochel in Kremenets in the Russian Empire and in what is now modern-day Ukraine. Avidar was originally a peddler during his time in Ukraine.[2]

In 1929 Avidar immigrated to Mandatory Palestine.[2]

Career

Avidar became a senior commander in a Jewish paramilitary organization called the Haganah.[3] Placed in control of the supply programs,[2] he was responsible for the idea and of constructing an underground ammunition factory called the Ayalon Institute, which was a major supplier of arms to the Haganah.[4][5]

In 1948, after the creation of the Israel Defense Forces, he changed his name from Rochel to Avidar based on an acronym of his two daughters' names.[6] Avidar was the Israeli quartermaster during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and later served as the Israel Defense Forces' deputy chief of staff.[7]

Avidar served as ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1955 to 1958 and as ambassador to Argentina from 1961 to 1965.[8]

Death

Avidar died on September 13, 1995, at the age of 89 years old from a lung infection.[2]

Personal life

Avidar lost his right hand when he was learning how to use grenades, which popularized his nickname "Amputee."[4] He was sent to Vienna for treatment where he met the future Israeli children's book writer Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz,[4] who at the time was studying at the University of Vienna.[6]

Avidar had a Doctor of Philosophy in Russian studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[8]

Works
  • BaDerekh l’Tsahal, 1971[8]
  • The party and the army in the Soviet Union, 1983.[9]

References
  1. Avidar.
  2. "Maj. Gen. Yosef Avidar, a street peddler who rose to become deputy army chi". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  3. "The Silver Platter: Establishing the State of Israel". aish.com. 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  4. Man, Nadav (2009-01-30). "From Jerusalem to Aqaba: Ben-Gurion's travels". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  5. "How a Fake Kibbutz Was Built to Hide a Bullet Factory". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  6. "Yemima Tchernovitz-Avidar". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  7. Gur, Haviv Rettig. "Peres's son has lessons for a new New Middle East". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  8. Avidar, Yosef (1985). The Party and the Army in the Soviet Union. ISBN 0271003936.
  9. Avidar, Yosef (1985). The party and the army in the Soviet Union. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 978-0-271-00393-1. OCLC 11573730.
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