The late Brigadier General Mosli Ashur joined the Zebulon Seamen’s Association when he was 10 years old.
His teachers said that he was, perhaps, a pepper seller, and that he was not suitable for naval officers’ high school. These sayings instilled in him the motivation to succeed and excel, he finished high school and enlisted straight into the officers’ course at BHD 1. From there to the gunners’ course, which he completed with honors, and the ranks were awarded to him in a ceremony by the Prime Minister, none other than David Ben-Gurion himself.
◄ The Fleet of Admirals (Photo: Relo Rosenberg)
Later, the late Mosley held senior positions in the Navy, including chief of the intelligence division, in this position he was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel, chief of the personnel division, naval attaché in Washington, and more.
In 2006, Ashur was diagnosed with brain cancer, a disease that led to his blindness. During his illness, he was recognized as disabled by the IDF. He fought the disease with great courage and optimism and believed that he could handle it, encouraged those around him and did not prevent himself from participating in any event. He did not make any concessions to himself and even continued to repair pilot headphones despite his condition.
Ashur died on October 2, 2010 and was buried in the sailors’ plot at the Ein Carmel cemetery to the sounds of Greek music that he loved and a tribute flight of six of his students passes over the grave.
A flotilla in memory of the admirals
The memory of Brigadier General Ashur is raised in an annual cruise held in September by the Zebulon Seafarers’ Association in Haifa. Boats of various models from the naval associations and the Naval Officers’ School participate in the cruise. Also participating in the cruise is a boat “Sanonit” which was donated to the Zebulon Association by his family and carries the His nickname was “Mosley”.
◄ Ora Ashur – the widow of the late Mosley:
Mosley’s brothers told me that the flotilla in his memory connects them to him and that the connection to the sea is exactly Mosley. “Even when at the height of his illness he went blind, he went out with us on the family yacht for night cruises and would see things we didn’t see.”
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◄ Mosley’s brothers say:
The pride of the family
Mosley’s nephew also told about his uncle, who was the pride of the whole family, and the event in his memory is exactly what Mosley would have wanted, with the whole family at sea, the place he loved so much.
About two years ago, Lt. Col. Bamil Shabtai Levy, who was formerly the deputy commander of the Navy, on the advice of friends, turned to Mrs. Ora Ashur and asked her to expand the flotilla for an event in memory of all the admirals of the Navy for generations.
◄ Anthem of the Zebulon Maritime Association
At the end of her speech, Rabbi Ora Ashur invited the young people in the family to sing the Zevlon Naval Association anthem.
The families on the ship “Queen of Acre”
This year’s flotilla was slightly different in organization. Those invited to the event, the relatives of all the admirals’ families, boarded the ship “Queen of Acre” and looked all together like one big family.
◄ Major General Bemil Dodo Ben Bashat, who was the commander of the Navy and today serves as the chairman of the Navy Association, said to the families:
“Today, as every year, we will salute and cherish these leaders who built the navy, operated the navy, built such wonderful ships, built great intelligence, wonderful manpower.”
◄ Later in the flotilla, the names of all the admirals were mentioned and wreaths were thrown into the sea in their memory.
◄ The commemoration project
Brigadier General Bamil Shabtai Levy, as mentioned, came up with the idea to expand the flotilla in memory of all the admirals of the Navy for generations. Every year Shabtai leads the ceremonial part of the flotilla. At the end, Shabtai told me about his feelings before the flotilla, and what the involvement in this commemoration project contributes to him.
◄ The Fleet of Admirals (Photo: Relo Rosenberg)