Eliezer Halfin was born June 18, 1948, in Riga, formerly
 of the USSR, now Latvia. He was the only son of a
 father who lost his first family to Nazis in a Riga ghetto
 during World War II. Eliezer competed as a freestyle
 wrestler. He competed for 11 years in the USSR,
 finishing fourth in the national youth division, before
 making aliyah to Israel in 1969. Eliezer was a member of 
 the Israeli National Wrestling Team
 and Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 1972, Eliezer won third
 place in an international competition in Greece. In 1972,
 Eliezer became an Israeli citizen, completed army
 service, and began a promising career as a Volkswagen
 mechanic. Participating in the 1972 Olympic Games was
 the highlight of Eliezer Halfin's career and his dream.