Ben-Haim, Haim

Haim, the only son of Karolina and Shmuel, was born on May 29, 1940 in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1949. He began his studies in his hometown, then attended elementary school In the name of Bialik and the Kugel High School in Holon. Chaim was a very diligent student, he read many literature and poetry, read and read the Bible and memorized the poetry of Bialik. Haim loved nature very much, and together with his father he cultivated a wonderful garden around their home in Holon, and they were honored by the Holon Municipality and Peres. Even though his home had no religious home, he loved Jewish tradition and was interested in its sources and customs. Chaim was closed and introverted, and only a few knew about what was going on inside him and about his feelings. He was ambitious and insisted on fulfilling every task and challenge he had set for himself and succeeding in his actions. He was humble, he loved simplicity and honesty, he was very kind and pleasant. Haim was drafted into the IDF in late August 1959 and volunteered for the Golani Brigade, and his parents wanted to prevent him from doing so because he was an only child, but he did not respond to their pleas. After being released from regular service, he was assigned to the Armored Corps, and spent most of his reserve duty on the banks of the Suez Canal and the Gaza Strip. His participation in the war in 1967 was awarded the “Six Day War.” Haim excelled in the exact sciences – mathematics and physics. After completing his studies at the Technion in Haifa, he was certified as an electronics engineer, and his friends from the Technion days told him about him, who was considerate and understanding, shared with them all he had, and was very quiet, And later on at IAI, where he soon succeeded in becoming one of the senior engineers, thanks to the rich knowledge and experience he had acquired, and his superiors praised him for his diligence, his energy, his responsibility and his precision. He never condescended to his subordinates, treated them politely and with respect, and had a loyal staff member. Chaim loved his family very much and cultivated good relations with them. His father was like a friend, his wife Nili had a devoted husband, and his little daughter Keren had a loving father who paid her great attention. When the Yom Kippur War broke out he was drafted and sent with his unit to the Sinai front. On the 18th of Tishrei 5734 (18.10.1973), in the morning, when his unit crossed the Canal in the central sector, the area was shelled by the enemy and Haim was killed in the shelling. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Holon. He left behind a wife and daughter and father. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Haim was a class sergeant, loved by his soldiers and accepted by his commanders. The Achva synagogue in Holon was named after him and his parents donated a Torah scroll in his memory.