Degani, Menachem

Son of Miriam and Azriel, was born on November 17, 1910 in the city of Bardeyov in Transcarpathian Ukraine. He studied at the elementary school, at the “Chadarim” and “Yeshivot”. He joined the Hechalutz ha-Dati (Religious Pioneer) movement, did training and guided its members, and when he was abroad, he loved Jewish speech and wrote in the Hechalutz Hamizrachi brochures. Immigrated to Israel on 23.3.1938. After working in various places, he immigrated with his group to settle in the Beerot Yitzhak group of HaPoel Hamizrachi in the Negev and since then was an active member of the Hagana. In 1944 he was the secretary of “HaPoel Hamizrachi” in Pardes Hannah and devoted himself mainly to the education of Yemenite immigrants who immigrated to Israel at the time. Was aware of cultural matters, ran the library of the group and instructed new members to speed up their integration into the original Hebrew language and culture. During the War of Independence he took part in the defense of his group, where he established his family home. After the great destruction they sowed in the Egyptian team, he moved with the veteran members of the team to Wilhelm, where the group said to settle down, and Menahem continued to serve in defense of the region, in the Alexandroni Brigade. He wrote and published memoirs about two of his comrades who fell in battle for their place in the Negev and about his brother David who fell in Kfar Etzion. In a letter to the committee of the sergeant and the flag, Menahem raised a proposal regarding the shape of the State emblem: two lions standing on their hind legs holding the two tablets of the Bible with the slogan: “Netzach Yisrael will not lie.” He did not have time to send his proposal, because on December 8, 1948, he fell in an outpost near Rosh Ha’ayin and was brought to eternal rest in the military cemetery in Petach Tikva. “(The battle in Berot yitzchak).