Avshalom Gissin

Gissin was born in Petah Tikva in 1896, son of Moshe Gissin, one of the early settlers in Petah Tikva. As a student in the local school, Gissin was active in movement which aimed to substitute the teaching language from French to Hebrew. After graduating the local school, Gissin studied in the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, and at the age of 16 moved to Istanbul, where he studied in a Military High School, later transferring to a military high school in Damascus, to be closer to his family. Gissin joined the Ottoman Army upon graduation, and as an officer was stationed in a military school in Istanbul as a sports instructor. After the end of World War I Gissin returned to Petah Tikva, where helped organizing a local defense force and helped to re-established the local Maccabi club. He also conducted Surveying in southern Palestine.

At the start of the 1921 Palestine riots, Gissing returned to Petah Tikva, where he set up a line of defense against the local Arabs. On 5 May 1921 armed gunmen from the Abu Kishak tribe attacked Petah Tikva. During the attack Gissin was shot in his chest and head and died of his injuries. He was buried the following day, along three other fallen defenders in the local cemetery.

In October 1922, after a period of inactivity, Maccabi Petah Tikva was re-established and was named after Gissin. A main street in Petah Tikva was named after Gissin.