Engel, Haim

Son of-Lisa and Theodore-Yonatan was born on February 29, 1929 in Nuremberg, Germany, to an enlightened Zionist family. The family managed to leave Germany and immigrate to Palestine and settled in Jerusalem. In 1938, he died from his father, the doctor, and family life became difficult. Chaim said to follow his path and study medicine. He graduated summa cum laude from high school and intended to continue his studies abroad. When the war broke out and he was already enrolled as a student at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, he thought of merging a service in the Haganah and studying at the university. Haim was a member of the “Halachah” Department, Palmach and Hachash fighters, who were sent as reinforcements to Gush Etzion after the large attack on the Bloc on January 14, 1948. The fighters departed from Hartuv on the night of January 15-16, Ammunition and equipment, but due to the late hour of departure and the difficulties of the road, they were unable to reach Gush Katif in the middle of the night, and were discovered by villagers in the vicinity of the villages of Beit Natif, Jaba and Surif, (“Battle Hill” today) and fought with the masses of Arabs until they all fell in battle on the day of the 15th of Shevat 5708 (16.1.1948). Haim was brought to a mass grave in Kfar Etzion. On the 17th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was transferred to the eternal military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.