Dushnitzky, Zvi-Dov

Zvi-Dov, son of Bella and Yosef Dushnitzky, was born on August 26, 1922, in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. When he was three years old, his parents immigrated to Israel and settled in Afula.
He was an electrician by profession. In December 1942, when the Jewish Brigade of the British army was established, he joined the Third Battalion and devoted his energies to helping the Jewish refugees and alleviating their suffering. In October 1946, he married Mali nee’ Shpeyer, and opened an electrical materials trade house. Zvi-Dov was a member of the Hagana and was known as one of the organization’s activists in Afula and its surroundings. In March 1948, Zvi-Dov was drafted as a sabotage officer and was later appointed deputy commander of the sabotage division of one of the Golani Brigade battalions. He participated in the battles of Mishmar HaEmek, Lagoon, Lubia and Sejera. He was quiet, modest, kind, tactful and pleasant. As a soldier-commander he was courageous, careful and delicate in carrying out his complicated work, promoting order and cleanliness and caring for his subordinates, who saw him as a model soldier. On the 2nd of Sivan 5708 (June 9, 1948), he headed for the outpost south of Sejera, and at the time of the battle he went out in front of the enemy fire to rescue a wounded commander who had been hit by the enemy’s fire and was hit and fell on the spot. Zvi-Dov was buried in the military cemetery in Afula, and was awarded the rank of lieutenant after his death.