Baruch, Albert

Albert, son of Vita and Isaac, was born on December 6, 1944 in Bulgaria, and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1948, when he was about four years old. He graduated from elementary school in Jaffa. Burtu, as his friends and family called him, was kind and loving. He was willing to help anyone who needed his help, and never avoided helping a friend. After graduating from elementary school, Albert decided to go to work, not to continue his regular studies, to help his father support the family, and to acquire a profession that would enable him to support himself and his family in the future. He worked as an apprentice in mechanics, learned the profession well and excelled as a devoted and diligent workman. His favorite hobby was fishing. He loved the open sea and the serenity of fishing, and enjoyed it more than he managed to raise fish in his rod. Albert was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early February 1962. After completing his basic training, he was assigned to serve as a half-track driver in an armored unit, and after his regular service he was called for periods of active reserve duty. To work as a firefighter in the fire department. He also volunteered for any dangerous work, and was willing to work even after hours. He married his girlfriend Rivka, and eventually he had three children – Yitzhak, Revital and Rina. During the Six-Day War, Albert served in the Haganah, and later returned to serve in the Armored Corps. He ended the war as a half-track driver in the Armored Corps. He was considered a good soldier, loyal and precise in carrying out his duties. He particularly excelled in his willingness to help a comrade during a crisis or during difficult training. He was willing to volunteer for any mission, and he did so out of deep conviction and recognition of the need to serve the country as best he could. During the Yom Kippur War, Albert took part in the battle against the Egyptians on the Sinai front. On October 17, 1973, in a battle west of the Suez Canal, Albert was hit by the shelling and killed. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left behind a wife, three children and parents. After falling, he was promoted to sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, Albert’s battalion commander wrote: “Together with us he went to war and served faithfully and devotedly … When he was called, he volunteered without hesitation to go out as a driver.- He was a lively soldier, energetic and full of enthusiasm, and it was right to carry out his duties. “