Corach, Elchanan

Elchanan, son of Ahuva and Haim, was born in Tel Aviv on February 24, 1942. He completed his studies at the “Har Nevo” elementary school in Tel Aviv and later attended the “Hakfar Hayarok” agricultural high school and the Technion’s agricultural faculty in Haifa. Elchanan was a good student, read a lot and excelled in various crafts. He loved folk dancing and liked to write. Many of his feelings, experiences, and impressions were written down in his many letters. He was a member of the united movement and went with his fellow members to the Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra. The years he studied at the “Green Village” agricultural high school were among the happiest years of his life. A long time later he used to tell about the “green village” with great pleasure. He was involved in agriculture and the soil work, and therefore chose to study in the Department of Water and Agricultural Engineering at the Technion in Haifa, and worked as a water engineer in the technical department of the Kibbutz Artzi
He joined the IDF in early November 1960 and served in the Artillery Corps and Armored Corps. He took an artillery officer’s course, a battery commander course and a parachuting course, and served in various positions in the artillery corps, including a battery officer and a gun officer. In the Six Day War he was an artillery officer in Major General Avraham Yaffe’s division and advanced with the battalion that reached the Suez Canal. After that he served for long periods in combat units in the framework of his reserve service and fought in the War of Attrition. He was a soldier, an officer, a commander and an excellent instructor. His soldiers appreciated his command, his authority, and his professional knowledge in the fields of artillery and armor. He demanded many of his subordinates, but they always knew that he demanded more of himself than was demanded of them. He was always meticulous about perfection in performance, precision, and thoroughness, and adherence to the tasks he was assigned or took upon himself. Elchanan devoted special attention to the soldiers who were injured in battle, training or accidents in his unit, and did not rest until he was sure that they were receiving the best treatment. Elchanan was very attached to his family. He loved to take care of the house and cultivate it, to plan and build his own furniture and accessories, and to care for his little son. At home he found relaxation and leisure to nurture his hobbies: photography and development of pictures. As well as many trips throughout the country. In the Yom Kippur War, Elhanan was the commander of an artillery battery that fought in the Golan Heights. On the fifth day of the war, he was assigned a new position – an artillery liaison officer for a tank battalion that broke Syrian defenses and stormed into Syrian territory. In this capacity, Elhanan served in the first line, in the direction of his battery fire, thereby assisting the tank battalion.
During the breakout into Syrian territory on October 10, 1973, he was hit and killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Survived by a wife and son, parents and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to the rank of Major. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote that Elchanan was one of the pillars of the battalion, a favorite of his comrades and subordinates. He excelled with a sense of responsibility and a sense of humor. A commander, a guide, a worried father, who goes first and gives a personal example. His wife, Dalia Korach, wrote a book called “A Story about Light and Darkness,” which is the story of her relationship with her husband. The book includes many letters written by Elchanan to his wife during their acquaintance and shared life