Cnaani (Feuerberg), Hillel (Mechel)

Son of Klara and Aharon was born on September 17, 1928, in Knigsfeld, Czechoslovakia, where he was moved to Hungary by the age of Bar Mitzvah and later worked as a Goldsmith. In 1942, he took part in a Jewish choir in Budapest, where he won a scholarship and studied for two years in a vocational school, and in 1944 his father was exiled by the Hungarians and his mother and three sisters were sent to the death camp in Auschwitz. He passed through the Russian-Romanian front line, but was caught and put in jail, later released for his young age, passing the frontier again and reaching Bucharest, Romania, where he was an active member of the Habonim movement, and during the Nazi period he immigrated to Eretz Israel through the Carpathian mountains, Hungary and Romania and left Constanza in the “Three Ships” (one of which sank in its way) He worked in the field and was a tractor driver, tall, kindhearted and courageous, played the violin and loved to sing, he worked in Tel Aviv for several months as a guard at Hashomer. In 1946 he joined the Palmach, served for a year and a half and was discharged. He was assigned a number of secret duties, but he never told about it on the pretext that he was only a regular private. Before the British evacuation, he was among the defenders of the Haifa port, took part in the conquest of the city and joined the Palmach, and recently served in the Yiftach Brigade to stop the expected invasion from Lebanon, his brigade caught Malkia. Was killed by the enemy in a counterattack, Hillel fell on the 15th of Iyar 5708 (May 15, 1948). He was buried in Ramot Naftali. On the 16th of Adar (16.3.1950) he was transferred to the eternal rest of the military cemetery in Haifa.