Gernek, Shalom

Son of Breindel and Yacob, was born on the 1st of May 1916 in the city of Zwererzia, Poland. After graduating, he studied bookkeeping and worked in this profession in a commercial house in Katowice. Shalom joined Hashomer Hadati and was active as a member and as a guide and was educated at the “Shtibel” of the Ostrovtshe Hasidim. When Shalom was 20 he convinced his father to let him join the Polish army. Shalom was active in the “Torah V’Avodah” labor organization and was involved in the “visa industry” of distant and exotic countries, through which many succeeded in leaving occupied Lithuania and finally reaching Eretz Israel. In Adar 5703, Shalom was sent to instruct and educate in a transit camp for the Teheran children who were to immigrate to Israel and was one of the members of the first company to prepare the settlement in Kfar Etzion. Shalom was very attached to his family – to his wife, daughter, and son, and paid much attention to the education of his children. His wife immigrated to Israel at the beginning of 1941. From the day Shalom arrived in Israel he was very interested in the security problems and was sent to various courses for military training. At the beginning of the aliyah to Kfar Etzion, Shalom served as commander of the area. He devoted days and nights to fortifying and arming the spot, to training members and all other security matters. Even when he Shalom left the job and continued his favorite plantation work, he remained a loyal member of the Security Committee and was responsible for commanding a section of the village’s defense. Even in times of crisis, Shalom believed in the future. He courageously fulfilled his difficult task during the siege and the battles and served as commander of the western section of the village. On May 13, the Legion and local Arabs carried out a heavy attack on the Gush and managed to divide it in two. The next day the attack continued and Kfar Etzion was conquered by the enemy. In this battle Shalom fell on the 4th of Iyar 5708 (13.5.1948) On the 25th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was put to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. See Hebrew side for complete details.