Ben-Haim, Shmuel

Shmuel, son of Gracia and Yitzhak, was born in 1946 in Meknes, Morocco, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1958. He began his studies in the Talmud Torah in his hometown and later went on to study at the Geulim elementary school and the high school, he was a good student and his teachers praised him for his work and his nature, he was a good friend and they saw him as their leader, and the teachers recognized his leadership abilities and asked him to calm down the rioters and turn it over to help them and control them. He liked to deal with the needs of the public at school, was the organizer and the performer, and you could always see him running about and running Presented students and parties. He loved to joke, to be happy and smile, but in his sad moments, he didn’t share with anyone he kept it for himself. Samuel was drafted into the IDF in early May 1965 and was assigned to the infantry. After completing basic training, he completed a course for infantry commanders. He was a good soldier, fulfilled his duties to the satisfaction of his commanders and soon became fond of his fellow soldiers. He had bad relations with them and in every family celebration they visited his home. For his participation in the war in 1967 he was awarded the “Six-Day War”. After he was discharged from the regular army service, he was assigned to the Armored Corps and was trained in a training course for armored personnel carriers. When he returned to civilian life, he learned to install shutters, and in his profession it bothered him a lot until he bought him a good name in his place of residence and found work in abundance. In his few spare hours he painted with oil colors, read books, and even began to write a novel. Samuel was a traditionalist and made sure to go to synagogue on Shabbat and festivals. He loved his family very much and used to visit his relatives from time to time and no effort would bother him, even if they lived far from his place of residence. He was not picky, liked the simplicity and was happy with what he had. He was always willing to help all his friends, generously and generously. He was a loyal son of his parents, devoted husband to his wife Esther and a loving father to his little daughter Adana and his son Sharon. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Shmuel was drafted and sent with his unit to the front in the Golan Heights, where he took part in the difficult battles against the Syrians. On the 9th of Tishrei 5734 (October 9, 1973), when he and his men joined forces with the soldiers, an enemy force attacked them and he was killed on the spot. He was brought to eternal rest in the Ashdod cemetery. He left behind a wife, son and daughter, father, mother, three brothers and two sisters. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “During the fall of Shmuel in this war, you lost a beloved family member and we lost a dear and devoted friend. By sacrificing his soul to die, he gave you life and the people of Israel the right to exist. “