Rafaeli, Shmuel-David

Son of Esther-Ita and Eliezer-Meir, was born on 23 August 1927 in Tel Aviv to an ultra-Orthodox family that preserves tradition. At the age of four, he entered the “Sample Garden” and stood out there for the better. When he completed his studies, he began studying at the Talmud Torah of the Histadrut ha-Haredim, where he moved to the yeshiva of Rabbi Amiel, Yeshivat HaYeshuv Hahadash, where he studied for two years and then entered the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem. They said that “he did not aspire to be a rabbi, only a kosher and good Jew.” Where he studied for three years and was educated in a religious-traditional atmosphere. Then he worked in a leather-goods workshop and was a perfect artist. He also found time for Torah study. After the establishment of the State of Israel, he voluntarily volunteered for a “war-mitzvah” and served in the religious brigade of the Golani Brigade. Shmuel-David underwent difficult training, but received everything with joy and love. In battle he was fearless and self-conscious. Elem was tall, his eyes bright, gentle. And in the battle he is careful with a slight commandment. After the withdrawal from Jenin, the line reached the first truce in the ridge north of Jenin. With the resumption of fighting at the end of the first truce, the Iraqis aggressively attacked this line. In view of the enemy’s superiority, our forces had to retreat and set up a new line on the Gilboa ridge. In these battles, after a hard day of battle, he fell from an enemy bullet near the village of Mukibela on Tuesday, July 10, 1948. His brother, Moshe Shlomo, fell two months before him in the last battle of Gush Etzion. (25.7.1949) was transferred to the eternal rest of the military cemetery at Nahalat Yitzhak.