Katz, Zvi

The youngest son of Gela and Avraham, was born in 1919 in the town of Dulhinov in White Russia. A son of veteran Zionists who had been educated in Hebrew education. After the war he fled to immigrate to Israel. He joined the “Negev” group of partisans through the “Nocham” (Union Pioneer Youth) organization. He taught them Hebrew and immigrated with them as a guide on the Tel Hai ship in 1946. When he joined the Kinneret group he worked in the date groves and was a Haganah operative there. Zvi was outstanding in his knowledge of weapons, was sent to the aid of Sejera and in the battles of Kinneret he was appointed commander of a position and a training instructor. The Syrians invaded the Jordan Valley on May 16, 1948, took control of several of the regional authorities, but were stopped by our forces in Zemach. On May 18 the Syrians launched an attack on a plant with the help of artillery and tanks. At first, the town of Tzemach fell, and finally the police station and the defenders retreated under Syrian fire towards Degania. In this battle he fell on the 9th of Iyar 5708 (18.5.1948) and was brought to rest in a grave in the military cemetery in Degania A. He was followed by a wife and daughter.