Moshe Weinberg
Encyclopedia
Moshe Weinberg (1939 - September 5, 1972) was the coach of the Israel
i international wrestling
team as well as being the coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv. He was the Israeli youth champion in wrestling and also the adult champion for a period of 8 years. He began his career in Hapoel Haifa, later becoming a certified coach at Wingate Institute. In his capacity as national wrestling coach, he was sent to the 1972 Summer Olympics
at Munich
. He was among eleven Israeli team members who were killed by Palestinian terrorists in the Munich massacre
.
members of Black September
entered the Munich Olympic Village and broke into apartment 1 at Connolystrasse 31, which housed five coaches and two referees of the Israel
i Olympic team. The first Israeli they encountered was Weinberg (It is unclear whether Weinberg was actually in the apartment already or was captured as he was entering it). Realizing the gravity of the situation, Weinberg got into a scuffle with the intruders, one of whom shot the wrestling coach through his cheek. The wounded Weinberg was taken by the terrorists to help find more Israelis. Keeping a clear head, Weinberg led the terrorists past Apartment 2, which housed the slimly-built fencers, shooters and track athletes, and instead took them to Apartment 3, which housed Israel's weightlifters and wrestlers. (It is assumed that Weinberg have thought that the stronger men might have a better chance of fighting off the intruders.) However, taken by surprise, the six athletes of Apartment 3 were captured by the terrorists. While the hostages were being marched back to the officials' apartment, Weinberg once again attacked the intruders, knocking one of them unconscious and allowing one of his wrestlers, Gad Tsobari
, to escape via an underground parking garage. The terrorists fatally riddled Weinberg with machine-gun fire, then tossed his nude and bloodied body out into the street in order to demonstrate their resolve. Weinberg had thus become the first victim of the Munich massacre
.
Weinberg's son Guri, an Israeli actor, portrayed his father in the 2005 movie Munich
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i international wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team as well as being the coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv. He was the Israeli youth champion in wrestling and also the adult champion for a period of 8 years. He began his career in Hapoel Haifa, later becoming a certified coach at Wingate Institute. In his capacity as national wrestling coach, he was sent to the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. He was among eleven Israeli team members who were killed by Palestinian terrorists in the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
.
Death
In the early morning hours of September 5, 1972, PalestinianPalestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
members of Black September
Black September (group)
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian paramilitary group, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event...
entered the Munich Olympic Village and broke into apartment 1 at Connolystrasse 31, which housed five coaches and two referees of the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Olympic team. The first Israeli they encountered was Weinberg (It is unclear whether Weinberg was actually in the apartment already or was captured as he was entering it). Realizing the gravity of the situation, Weinberg got into a scuffle with the intruders, one of whom shot the wrestling coach through his cheek. The wounded Weinberg was taken by the terrorists to help find more Israelis. Keeping a clear head, Weinberg led the terrorists past Apartment 2, which housed the slimly-built fencers, shooters and track athletes, and instead took them to Apartment 3, which housed Israel's weightlifters and wrestlers. (It is assumed that Weinberg have thought that the stronger men might have a better chance of fighting off the intruders.) However, taken by surprise, the six athletes of Apartment 3 were captured by the terrorists. While the hostages were being marched back to the officials' apartment, Weinberg once again attacked the intruders, knocking one of them unconscious and allowing one of his wrestlers, Gad Tsobari
Gad Tsobari
Gad Tsobari is an Israeli-born light-flyweight freestyle wrestler and a member of Israel's 1972 Olympic team. He finished 12th in his event, and was considered a possible medal threat at the Montreal Games of 1976...
, to escape via an underground parking garage. The terrorists fatally riddled Weinberg with machine-gun fire, then tossed his nude and bloodied body out into the street in order to demonstrate their resolve. Weinberg had thus become the first victim of the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
.
Weinberg's son Guri, an Israeli actor, portrayed his father in the 2005 movie Munich
Munich (film)
Munich is a 2005 historical fiction film about the Israeli government's secret retaliation attacks after the massacre of Israeli athletes by the Black September terrorist group during the 1972 Summer Olympics. The film stars Eric Bana and was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg...
.