Fruchtman, Israel

Son of Ita and Jacob, was born on 24 July 1927 in the city of Damianesti, Roman District, Romania. After graduating from elementary school, he studied electrical engineering at a vocational high school in Bucharest. He liked sports and especially football. Israel passed the horrors of the Second World War and in 1944 went to Italy in the “escape route” to a group of Transnistrian orphans, aged 16-20, who because of their age could not be included in the legal immigration of the little orphans. In Italy he joined the Betar movement and in his letters he made a vow to immigrate to Israel even by foot, and at the end of 1945 he found a possibility to board a ship, and when he arrived he was held for several weeks in the Atlit camp and after his release he worked for several months in the Nir Am group. In early January 1948, he joined the army and served in the Alexandroni Brigade, refusing to “waste time” in an officer’s course as he was offered, , And again refused to wait until the cure was over and returned to service And the road to the city was cut off by the Legion Brigade in Latrun, which was planned for Operation son of-Nun A. Its battalion was reinforced to carry out the 7th Brigade and was forced to conquer Latrun, Although he was injured by hand and leg, he continued to fire from his machine gun until he fell on the 17th of Iyar 5708 (May 26, 1948.) On the 17th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was laid to rest in the military cemetery at Mount Herzl In Jerusalem.