Bronstein, Baruch

Son of Esther and Abraham, was born on December 5, 1945 in Russia, after his parents moved to Germany and immigrated to Israel in 1948. The family was transferred to a transit camp in Kfar Shalem in Tel Aviv, Baruch graduated with honors from the Golomb Elementary School in Kfar Shalem, where he was seen as a talented, quiet and introverted child who spent two years studying at the Ironi Aleph High School in Tel Aviv, He was a sports fan, and for five years he played football at Maccabi Montefiore in Tel Aviv, Baruch loved music, and he had a large collection of songs of Eretz Israel songs and folk songs. Baruch was devoted to his parents and helped his father in his work in a workshop he had in Jaffa, where Baruch began his regular service in 1963 at the age of 17, and completed his studies at the boarding school. He served in the Ordnance Corps and reached the rank of major sergeant. In 1967, Baruch volunteered for a regular army, and until 1978 – for eight years – served in the corps until he was transferred to a course for ordnance officers. In 1978 he received the rank of lieutenant and served as an ordnance officer in reserve duty. Two years later he rose to the rank of captain. Baruch asked to command a unit in a regular brigade, and since 1981 he was an armaments officer in the armored brigade. His subordinates told him that they soon had pain and a good friend. He took care of their needs, small and big. During the Yom Kippur War Baruch served with his unit, which served as a technical unit in the eastern sector of Jordan. During the Peace for Galilee War, he was a brigade munitions officer in the Armored Corps. His commanders noted him in his service during the war: “An excellent professional, during the war he proved to be very efficient, highly capable, responsible.” Shortly before he fell, he was promoted to major. On October 3, 1982, Baruch returned from a short vacation to his unit in Lebanon. On the way, near the village of Ali, the caravan from which he was traveling was ambushed by terrorists in a thicket of trees. Baruch was hit and killed. He was 37 years old when he fell. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon wrote to his family: “Baruch was a devoted soldier and an excellent commander, a symbol of honesty and modesty, pleasant.” The commander of his unit wrote: “It was for me and will be a symbol of dedication and responsibility, of honesty and modesty. Baruch was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Holon. He left behind a wife, son and daughter, mother and brother