NAME: Blass Avraham Abrasha

LEHI ALIAS: Metavech

DATE OF BIRTH: February 20, 1914

DATE OF DEATH: October 13, 1998

Abrasha was born 1914 in Lublin  Poland to Hayim and Hanna. He studied in a ‘Heder’ then high-school. At 14 he joined  Hashomer-Hatsa’ir then Beitar. Aged 16 he became leader of Galil Lublin, organising illegal Aliyah to Israel. Finishing high-school 1932, he left for France to study engineering: appointed  one of Jabotinsky’s secretaries, he switched from engineering to classical languages. He was sent to a Beitar naval course in Chivitavekia Italy 1935 and became  Ship Captain. In 1936 Jabotinsky appointed him Commander of the Marine School of ‘The Hebrew Navy in the making’. He was appointed head of Beitar/Etzel’s illegal ‘Af-Al-Pi’ aliyah 1939 and arrested by the British 1940. At Jerusalem Prison he joined Lehi. After release, he continued  clandestine Aliyah activities. In 1941 Yair sent him to Turkey to recruit Etzel members  en-route to Israel. Between 1941-45 he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, Akko, Mizra and Latrun. He married Hassiya Pardany, Beitar/ Etzel activist 1941; she passed away 1950. They had two sons, four grandchildren and a great-grandson. After release from Latrun, Ort sent him to Italy for establishing vocational schools, which enabled him to establish Lehi branches in Central Europe and collect funds. With Aharon Remez, he established a Pilots’ School in Italy 1948, training pilots for the future Israeli Air Force. In 1950 he established a network of ‘Ort’ Schools in Iran. Avraham was put in charge of ‘Kur’ factories in southern-Israel 1953. He married Riva. Later he established  Amkor Brass and Compressors Factories and was industrial advisor to Pinchas Sapir. In 1968 he appointed head of  KLAL industries. He was later awarded the Kaplan Award and appointed Economic Ambassador to Iran 1970. On return, he became  president of “Sunfrost”, then 1980 awarded Israel’s Industry Award. Chairman of the Board of Israel Shipbuilding 1980-86  and elected first Bureau of Commerce president 1984. Abrasha headed many trade missions abroad and established trade bureaus with foreign countries.

Abrasha passed away October 13,1998, and is buried in the Lehi section of Yarkon Cemetery. His son Ram managed  the Eilat Harbour; son Ze’ev was  Chief Mechanic of Zim.