Lifshitz, Mordechai (Maxi)

Mordechai, son of Pnina and Yehezkel Lifshitz, was born on July 22, 1924, in the city of Scheveningen, Holland, and immigrated to Israel with his parents in 1935, During Operation Danny, our forces also took control of the Modi’in area, and when the second truce came into force, outposts were found in the area, and one of them was from Regiment 219. The sector was calm and the force was held by the elite unit of the Kiryati Brigade. On September 24, 1948, the outpost was attacked by local Arabs with the help of the Legion unexpectedly, and in violation of the truce. The defenders of the outpost were surprised and forced to retreat in light of the enemy’s superiority, and many were injured in the severe retreat. At the beginning of the battle Mordechai was wounded in the shoulder, so he crawled towards the machine gun and tried to activate it. When she did not act, he dismantled and repaired and reassembled and continued firing until his bullets ran out. Holding this position for hours allowed the rest of the company (about 75 men) to retreat and be rescued. When the firepower of his position was weakened, which enabled the enemy to approach him, he was killed in close proximity. This was on the 20th of Elul 5708 (24.9.1948), the day of his two years of marriage, and he was laid to rest at the Nachlat Yitzhak military cemetery,