Bernstein, Shlomo (“Shalami”)

Son of Baruch and Sarah. He was born on November 7, 1947 in Tel Aviv. He completed his studies at the “Yosef Galili” elementary school, studied for one year at the “Shevach” high school and two years at the Amal vocational school. He was loved and loved by his teachers and friends in the schools because he was pleasant, conversational, and well-to-do. He loved sports and excelled in the basketball game. Shlomo was conscripted into the IDF in July 1965. Although he did not particularly like army life, he fulfilled his duty as an excellent soldier and a courageous fighter, and his good Lev and willingness to help others found him a loyal friend. Of his regular military service in Grofit – the Nahal outpost in the Arava – and in his Lev he decided to join the agriculture when he became a citizen. After being released from regular army service, he was called to reserve duty during the pre-Six Day War, and was assigned to one unit together with his brother Amnon. Because army orders forbid brothers to serve in one unit, he was transferred to another force. Shalmi was very hurt by this move, which cut him off from his brothers and friends. Throughout the war, he failed to contact his original platoon and when he learned that his brothers and friends had fought in Jerusalem, he decided to try to locate them. He studied and demanded tirelessly, and only when he learned that he had a good-bye to his brother Amnon did he call the family and tell them what happened. After the war, he realized his dream and joined Kibbutz Grofit, where, as he puts it, “we always start from nothing.” His period in Grofit was very Yaffa and fertile. From the beginning of his life, Shalmi took on various roles. He was a bouncer, a storekeeper and finally the truck driver who led the agriculture to the north – to Tel Aviv. Work and responsibility had taken its toll: he grew up and was serious and the whole world seemed to be on his shoulders. Despite the great distance from his family, he was able to maintain close contact with them and when he was called up for reserve duty at the beginning of July 1969 (the War of Attrition was in full swing), he traveled to all his family to bid farewell to them. As if his Lev had told him that this was the final separation. . . During the reserve duty, he was mortally wounded when he rose from his position to help a friend who was injured. On Monday, 17.8.1969, after a battle for the death penalty, a long and tormented struggle lasted for a month and a half, he died of his wounds and was brought to eternal rest in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery. Students of the “Shevach” vocational high school, published a list in his memory.