Gerdine, Chaim

Was born on 27.10.1927 in the town of Zopowka, Poland, and immigrated to Israel with his parents in 1936. He studied at the Tachkemoni School in Bnei Brak, at the elementary school in Nahalat Yitzhak near Tel Aviv, He was a member of the “Hanoar Haoved” organization and joined the Palmach in 1945. There they met him in the underground name Amram Yechieli. He took part in the emigration of illegal immigrants and after a year and a half returned to his parents’ home. Haim worked as a needle in the Hamat factory in Nahalat Yitzhak and in the evenings he completed his profession. A month and a half ago he participated in the defense of the isolated Jewish National Fund building near Beit Dagon, and after the explosion of the house he accompanied convoys to Jerusalem, But two days later, he announced that he had to leave: “My place is empty, and there is no one to block the breach,” he said, speaking of the victims: “Imagine that the gas chambers in the extermination camps operated for another day.” He fought in the Palmach’s “Harel” Brigade and participated in the battles to open the road to Jerusalem. In preparation for Operation Nachshon, the Kastel, which controls the road and was held by our forces, was conquered. The Arabs carried out a number of counter-attacks in order to return this vital control to their hands and on one night, on the night of April 7-8, their commander Abd al-Qader al-Husseini was killed. On the 28th of Adar II 5708 (1948), the Arab forces carried out a fierce attack to capture the place and find the body of their leader. The Palmach platoon, which belonged to the 5th Battalion of the Harel Brigade, came out as reinforcements for Castel and her men, who hid in the cemetery at Ma’ale Hachamisha. ) Was put to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.