Avraham Siton

May 28, 2002 - Avraham Siton, 17, of Shilo, was one of three yeshiva high school students killed in Itamar, southeast of Nablus, when a Palestinian gunman infiltrated the community and opened fire on the teenagers.

At around 23:00 at night, the terrorist first saw two students playing basketball outside the yeshiva and shot them dead, then went in and opened fire, killing another student and wounding two more lightly before he was shot dead by one of the teachers, a reserve IDF officer.

Avraham, the second of six children, was the son of a family which had immigrated from Argentina in the 1980s. His father, Rabbi Moshe Siton, served in the past as an advisor to the Interior Minister on immigration matters. He had attended the Hitzim yeshiva in Itamar since the 9th grade. He was looking forward to serving in the IDF in a combat unit.

His father related that Avraham was warm-hearted and loved music. Always ready to help others, he was a volunteer in Kav LaChayim - Chai Lifeline - an organization devoted to providing moral and financial support to children suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses such as cerebral palsy, as well as those requiring organ transplants

Avraham was one of 1500 youths who applied to be a counselor in Kav LaChayim's annual summer camp for sick children. He did not live to receive notice that he had been accepted. The head of the yeshiva said that the only clashes he had with Avraham was when he asked to miss class in order to devote more time to volunteer work.

Avraham Siton was buried in Shilo. He is survived by his parents, three sisters and two brothers.