Kaufman, Menachem

Son of Leah and Eliahu, was born on July 6, 1929 in Tel Aviv. He completed elementary school and 6 high school classes in Tel Aviv. When they finished elementary school, joined the “Yamiya” of the “Hapoel” participated in all training at sea and reached the first grade. In 1946, he enlisted in the Palmach, underwent ground and naval training, joined the activities of the illegal immigrant ship Shabtai Luzinsky and was deported to Cyprus from the end of the summer of 1947 to February 1948. After completing the course he prepared to organize the “Hayamah” activities in Tel Aviv, but was sent to the breakthrough in Jerusalem and participated in battles in the ranks of the Harel Brigade. Menachem served as the commander of a platoon of recruits-recruits, who had not yet been trained for battle and hard military life. He helped his subordinates very much, understood their situation, but kept discipline. In the Armored Corps stationed in Kiryat Anavim, he dealt with supplying ammunition to his comrades and selecting machine guns for armored vehicles. He was with the convoy that was stuck on the road between Dir Ayoub and Sha’ar Hagai. Menahem ordered an armored vehicle to rescue the wounded and to collect the wounded. When a tire was hit in the armored vehicle, he worked to bring him back to the base and on the way he collected a wounded man under enemy fire. Menachem participated in the “Yevusi” operation, during the fighting in the area of ​​Nebi Samuel, armored forces who went out to help, on April 23, 1948, was responsible for the first armored vehicle and was seriously injured in his stomach could not give his friends the necessary help. His friends took him out of the armored vehicle, laid him on a rock, and gave him a hand grenade … He was brought to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Anavim.