Melnik, Raphael (Stefan Rafi)

Son of Gertrude-Pauline and Alexander, was born on March 19, 2828 in Berlin, the capital of Germany. At the age of six, in 1934, his parents immigrated to Israel. In Tel Aviv, he studied at the school for the children of the workers and stood out for his varied talents. He edited the student newspaper and wrote lists and poems. For several years he worked as a clerk but found no satisfaction in this work. His alert nature and seeker pushed for new paths of life. In 1945 he volunteered for service in the Palmach and was sent to Beit Hashita and from there to Eilat. He passed the period of struggle against the British in the framework of the Palmach until he was attached in 1948 to the units that secured the road to Jerusalem and later to the Harel Brigade. After serving at the Jewish National Fund in Beit Dagon and escorting convoys, he was transferred to the isolated Gush Etzion defense. After winning a few days of vacation and succeeding in arriving with his friend to Jerusalem, he was sent immediately to Ma’ale Hahamisha to participate in the large “Nachshon” operation to break into Jerusalem. His task was to conquer the Castel. Rafi the gunner was among the conquerors of the Castel. In preparation for the “Nachshon” operation, the Castel, which controls the road and was held by our forces, was conquered. The Arabs carried out a number of counter-attacks in order to return this vital control to their hands and on one night, on the night of April 7-8, their commander Abd al-Qader al-Husseini was killed. On the 28th of Adar II 5708 (1948), the Arab forces carried out a fierce attack to capture the place and find the body of their leader. The Palmach platoon, which belonged to the 5th Battalion of the Harel Brigade, came out as reinforcements for Castel and her men, who hid on the retreat of the defenders of the Castel. On the 19th of Kislev 5714 (19.11.1953) he was put to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.