Ofek (Opocinski) Shlomo (“Chop”)

Son of Zvi and Batya. He was born on March 23, 1933 in Warsaw, Poland. In the same year he immigrated to Israel with his parents. He spent his childhood in Givatayim. He was a son of traditional parents and attended elementary school in Nahalat Yitzhak. Afterward, he continued his studies at the “Sammat” vocational school in Haifa in the direction of radio and electronics, during which time he was a member of the Scouts movement, but devoted most of his time to the pilots in HaPoel. When he was about to enlist in the IDF, he wanted to go to a pilots’ course, because the subject appealed to him, but his mother objected to this idea. On July 25, 1952, he enlisted in the navy with most of his classmates. Shlomo loved the sea very much, the vast expanses of water around him. He had always told of the immense experience of sailing in the sea surrounded only by water and sky. And indeed, throughout his service in the corps, he served in a vessel. Shlomo has taken courses in radio and electronics, served in the naval commando and on the ship “Noga” and in one of the destroyers. In 1958 he went to England for about a year and a half to prepare the submarine “Tanin” at the rank of chief sergeant in the role of radio technician After returning to Israel and staying there for about two weeks he went back to England – this time to prepare a “Rahav.” Since no suitable radio technician was found for this submarine, After six months he returned to Israel with Rahav – and then he married a wife; This was in October 1960. For three years he served in the submarines “Tanin” and “Rahav”. He was then sent by the Navy to study at the Hebrew University of Haifa. He studied there for two years but when he returned to the corps was asked to go to officers’ course in February 1966. After completing the course he returned to his position in the submarine – this time with the rank of lieutenant. At that time they needed an electric officer on the Dakar submarine. Shlomo and his family left for England in October 1966 for Portsmouth, where they stayed for a year and four months. Shlomo missed the country and was always aware of what was happening there. His nose was very quiet and closed and modest. He was particularly pleased with the independence he had been given in the radio and electronics field of the submarine. He was friendly with everyone and never hated him. He also did not like to brag, push or push others. In his character, the qualities of an educator stood out. He loved the study and guidance of his subordinates very much. He secretly hoped to study education and sociology when he was discharged from the army and was willing to listen, give advice and help to all those who approached him, and so did his work. Listening to classical music and folk songs, Shlomo loved to go on trips because he loved nature and Yaffa scenery, and when the time came and the submarine left England for the shores of the country and was found on the sea routes between Gibraltar and Haifa, (25.1.1968) The Chief Military Rabbinate determined that the date of Shlomo’s death in the course of carrying out his duties together with the rest is on 29 Tevet 5726 (30.1.1968) A wife, a son and a daughter were placed in a memorial to the people of Dakar in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, and after they fell they were promoted to the rank of Captain. On December 28, 1999, after a long period of searching, the INS Dakar submarine was found on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 2,900 meters M on its planned voyage and 250 miles from Haifa port. This fallen hero is a “maklan” – a hero whose burial place is unknown.