Podoler, Aharon

Son of Shoshana and Yitzhak, was born on 15.1.1923 in Tiberias and as a child moved with his parents to Balfouriya, where he attended the local school and completed the regional school in a nearby village. The difficult struggle of the Balfour farmers to sustain their farms with lack of water and other hardships did not weaken his attraction to agriculture, and among the tired peasants of many years, he was a young man of faith in the future, to build his farm and future in this village. His father the carpenter set up the farm buildings for him and he bought cows and mules and went diligently and devotedly to the work, proving to the near and far that in this Balfouria too, bread could be brought out of the country. Aharon worked and lived in a simple and simple way, willing to help others, hearing complaints from the soul and trying to calm and encourage, express his opinion sincerely and accept the opinion of others with understanding. For a long time he was connected to the security services of the place and the surroundings. At the outbreak of the War of Independence, Aharon was released from full service for farm reasons, but when the Syrian enemy invaded the Jordan Valley and threatened the settlements in the area, he could no longer work peacefully in his farm and village and let others protect him with their blood. He went to battle and while the enemy was pushed from the gates of Degania, he fell on the 11th of Iyar 5708 (May 20, 1948). He was buried in Tiberias. On the 30th of Sivan 5710 (31.5.1950) he was put to rest at the military cemetery in Afula.