Haas, Daniel

Son of Shoshana and Meir, he was born on December 9, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States. Daniel received a traditional and national education in Hebrew schools in his city. At first he studied at an elementary school, and later at Mativta, a Hebrew academy in Cleveland. Daniel was an active member of Bnei Akiva and held key positions in a summer camp near Cleveland. He was also a guide in various sports. From his childhood, Daniel discovered a rare talent for manual labor. He devoted himself to the work of fine mechanics, to electronic work, and through the work he expressed himself. When he was 10 years old he built a talking robot. He was 14 years old when he built a model plane, and it flew. Everything Daniel did was meticulous and perfect. Thanks to his talents, he learned to design gold jewelry and gemstones. After finishing high school in Cleveland, Daniel moved to New York, where he studied design. He proved himself as a creative artist, but distracted himself from the work and became increasingly interested in the fate of the Jewish people. From his youth Daniel was involved in every event in which a Jew was attacked. In 1979, he decided to immigrate to Israel. After he immigrated, Daniel began studying philosophy at Bar-Ilan University. His main goal was to absorb the spirit of the Hebrew language. He wanted to be a “sabra,” to be absorbed quickly in Israeli society. In 1980, Daniel enlisted in the IDF, in a Nahal unit. During his service in the IDF he also saw a way to be absorbed in Israel, and his excellent physical fitness and devotion helped him to successfully complete basic training, and even helped his friends in the unit and encouraged them. As a squad leader, Daniel saw himself as an educator, and wrote to his friends: “I think this is an opportunity for me to educate youth in military service. I tried to show a personal example, for the love of the country.” In February 1982, he completed his regular service, moved to a reserve unit and settled in Ofra, hoping to build his home in Ofra. When the Peace for Galilee War broke out, Daniel was not among the first to be recruited. He regretted it, turned to his commanders, and was drafted. On 1 Av, July 21, 1982, Daniel led his unit on a patrol for a morning search near the village of Mansoura, Lebanon, where he encountered a terrorist ambush, attacked the enemy, and was killed, at the age of 27. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon wrote “He was a Zionist in every aspect of his life. Daniel was observant, loved the country and nature, was loved and accepted by his friends.” Daniel was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He left behind his parents and four sisters. His friends published a pamphlet in his memory that conjures up his image as a creative, imaginative and Zionist visionary. A Torah library was established in his name in Ofra. The community of Cleveland addressed his memory at a public assembly. In Jerusalem, the Danny Haz Center was established, which assists new immigrants from Cleveland, USA.