NAME: Aviad (Stern) Avraham

LEHI ALIAS: Ehud

DATE OF BIRTH: October 26, 1933

Avraham was born on October 26, 1933 in Haifa to Yoseph and Esther, née Kirshenbaum. His parents were natives of Safed. His father’s family had lived in Safed for several generations. His mother’s father was the mukhtar (mayor) of Safed and the family was Hassidic, an offshoot of the holy Ari family of Safed. His father was a well-known merchant in the town and was an ardent supporter of the Revisionist movement and of Beitar.

     Avraham was the third child in his family. He studied in the religious elementary school Netzach Israel in Haifa.

     At the age of 12 he joined the Beitar youth group in the city, was later moved to the Sons of Etzel youth group and afterwards joined Lehi when he was 15. His chief task in the underground was to put potential members in touch with the approval committee before whom they would have to appear. He passed a course in light arms and was also engaged in spreading campaigning material. 

     He was arrested once by the police for putting up posters, but was released and continued his activities for a while, even after the mass arrests of Lehi members following the murder of Count Bernadotte. At the time Avraham graduated from a high school in Haifa.  

     In 1951 he joined the IDF and served as a signals sergeant in the 7th Battalion. In 1952 he married Rivka Strumza and the couple had three children, Edna, Doron and Yair and later nine grandchildren. Following his discharge from the army he studied between 1956 and 1958 at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and has a degree in Public Administration. He worked for many years in the service of the State. 

     In 1981 he managed Prime Minister Begin’s foreign appearaces and afterwards served as the personal assistant to Yitzhak Shamir, the then Foreign Minister. He also served in diverse security positions before retiring long ago. 

     Since his retirement he has been working in Avis Car Rentals. He has written two books, one of poetry It Depends With Whom, and the espionage novel Shu… Shu.