Botovitzky, Benjamin

Son of Chaya Simcha, was born on the 27th of Sivan 5749 (July 5, 1929) in Haifa. He was a member of Hashomer Hatzair from his youth and was educated in Son of Shemen. When he was 14 years old, he was orphaned from his mother, who was drafted into the ETS. (The auxiliary corps for women in the British army) and was killed in an accident in Egypt. When he was 16, he completed his studies in Son of-Shemen and moved to Kibbutz Eilon for a year of training. He worked for a short time at the Sela group near Kiryat Motzkin and from there went to work in the Nesher cement factory as a crane driver. At the age of 18, he joined the Palmach, served as a sabotage officer, completed a training course in Kibbutz Dalia and was sent as a squad commander to the Jerusalem front for the Harel Brigade. He participated in all the battles in the city, was injured, and recovered from his wounds. After his recovery, he returned to his battalion, which fought at the time in the Negev, during Operation Horev to remove the Egyptian army from Israel. Participated in the last battle in the operation – the battle for the Rafah outposts. On the 5th of Tevet 5709 (6.1.1949) he was seriously injured – both legs were amputated – he died on the same day and was temporarily buried in Halutza, Forever in the military cemetery in Haifa