Nisan was born in 1901 in Russia to Joshua and Yoheved and immigrated to Israel with his parents when he was six years old. The family settled in Jaffa, where he graduated from an elementary school. He then worked as a construction worker and became known as a dedicated and hardworking laborer. He was a keen sportsman and excelled at swimming.

During World War I he was deported by the Turkish to Egypt, where he joined the Hebrew Battalion and when he was released he was awarded the Award for Excellence in Military Service. In 1925 in Egypt he married Rivka Ariev-Ariav and they had three children, Uri, Chana and Nehama. The couple also adopted a girl who was orphaned by her parents during the plague that took place in Jaffa in the 1920s. In 1933, the family returned to Israel and settled in Ramat Gan and Nissan enlisted in the Haganah. His home was used as a hiding place for weapons.

When World War II broke out, Nissan was one of the first recruits to volunteer for the RAF and was sent to serve in Greece. When Greece was captured by German forces, its unit managed to escape captivity, and its soldiers were given two weeks’ leave. They were then transferred to the Suez Canal in guard roles.

The Operational Record Book for 973 Squadron states that Nisan died by drowning in a ditch on the 10th August 1941.

In the Palestine Gazette of 2nd July 1942, Nisan’s widow Rivka applied to be the guardian of her three children.