Dobkin, Chaim
Son of Zehava and Nathan, he was born on the 26th of Kislev 5761 (26.10.1960) in Moshav Tekoa in the Negev, where he studied at the elementary school in Kibbutz Sa’ad and at the Nativ Meir high school in Jerusalem. He continued his family tradition, observed the commandments of the Torah and studied in the yeshiva, and saw observance of the mitzvot as a way of life suited to a young Jew who nurtured love for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. He liked art, painting and photography, and he had sophisticated equipment for his hobby, and Haim liked to read nature and landscape stories, and he bought many books on this subject. He wrote about his experiences and wrote stories, and after his death were found paintings, short stories and notes. “Know that I loved you all, do not grieve me all the days. This is not why I sacrificed my life, I gave my life so that you would be happy, so that you could lead a life that I loved so much and continued to live as usual and fulfilled my dreams, the things I loved: the green fields, the open spaces, the land and the homeland.” Towards the end of his high school studies, Haim sought to enlist in an elite combat unit. During his high school studies, he went to the Or Etzion yeshiva in the Shapira Center to prepare himself spiritually for service in the IDF. He continued to maintain contact with the yeshiva during his years of service. Chaim sought to find answers to ethical questions that arose in his heart during his service. In 1979 Haim enlisted in the IDF and served in the Golani Brigade, successfully completing the basic training period, and was accepted to the commando unit, despite his physical limitations. In October 1979 he successfully completed a course for armored personnel carriers, and in May 1980 he took a scouting course and was promoted to Corporal. At the beginning of 1981, he completed a commanding officer course, and was immediately accepted to the officers’ course, and in the summer of 1981 he received command of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance division and commanded it during the Peace for Galilee War. On Israel’s Independence Day, when the northern border was under attack by terrorists, he wrote: “We are probably standing before a battle. Now is the silence before the storm. Who knows which of us will live and who will die. We must know that those who go to war have a great merit. He protects our country and our homeland, our people, and the cities of our Gd … Of course we must want to fight. But the aspiration is to reach days of peace.” On 3 Tamuz, June 24, 1982, Chaim fought around the city in Hamdun. In the morning, the Syrians opened heavy fire. A Syrian sniper hit him and killed him. The defense minister wrote to his family: “He was an officer with professional knowledge who performed his duties in the best possible manner, with initiative, resourcefulness and adherence to the goal.” The commander of his unit wrote: “Haim did his job in his quiet way, and he accepted every position that was imposed on him unquestioningly. He was an expert in was in the laws of Judaism and kept the religious commandments, even when the conditions were difficult.” Chaim was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He was 22 years old when he died, leaving behind his parents, three brothers and two sisters. His friends told him about his figure in a booklet published in his memory. After his death, he was promoted to lieutenant.
