Har Sheleg, Dan

The only son of Devorah and Moshe was born on the 23rd of Kislev, December 6, 1928, in Jerusalem. He studied at the school for the children of workers in Jerusalem, but refused to continue his studies in high school, despite the positive results of the psychotechnical examination. Dan said: “I will be a more useful member of the kibbutz if I study a profession, and it will be easier for my mother.” He was accepted to the “Amal” vocational school and studied frameworks and engravings. From the fifth grade of the elementary school, he was a member of the youth movement “Mahanot Haolim” and had been a counselor there since the age of 14. He later joined the United Movement. After completing his studies in the vocational school, he remained in the city for another year, because he wanted to go on training with his contemporaries in the movement. He had not yet finished high school. Dan worked in a workshop, and stood out for his technical talents, and at the same time, devoted himself to training in the movement. When his group left for training, he was not allowed to join. He was sent to Haifa for guidance, where he worked three days a week at the port of Kassel, and four days under the guidance of the youth. With the outbreak of the War of Independence, the movement demanded to continue its training, but he felt it was unimportant at the time. He left Haifa on his own, and joined his friends in a training camp in Kfar Blum. At first he worked in agricultural work, and later in a metal workshop. He excelled in inventing and perfecting production. Not long after, Dan was called to the center of the movement, and was put on trial for a breach of discipline by leaving the training. At the end of April, Dan was apprehended by the movement secretariat, and returned to his comrades, to the core of the recruits in the Yiftach Brigade. When he learned of the death of his best friend, he wrote to his mother: “The news of the death of Sholik stunned me, but after I thought a little bit about it, I came to the conclusion that it was not very original, that sacrifices could not be ignored in the war … Shaul was a dear friend to me and I had to avenge his blood….”See Hebrew translation for full letter. During the campaign to conquer Safed, his commander learned that Dan was the only son of his parents, and he ordered him to remain in the rear, but Dan saw this as a harsh insult, and demanded that he be included in the attack. “I know,” replied Dan, “I will take more bundles out for cover and then hide.” His last words were “I was hurt! Kadima,” according to the testimony of his friends. He fell on the first of Iyar, May 10, 1948. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Safed.