Salzberg, Israel (Zilberberg, Dov)

Son of Bracha and Leib. He was born in 1917 in Radom, Poland. From his childhood, in his father’s home, he was educated in a pioneering and Zionist spirit. He joined a group of pioneers, with whom he defended the Jews of his city against anti-Semitic attacks and with them sought to immigrate to Palestine. All the roads were kosher in their eyes and when they were unable to obtain certificates (immigration permits) so they immigrated to Israel in a non-legal way. When they reached the northern border they were caught and arrested. Israel made sure that all the shaking and all the prisons to which they were thrown did not break the spirit of the pioneers. They were finally released and allowed to remain in Israel. Israel changed his name to Dov Zilberberg. As a pioneer, he worked in various occupations, in agriculture and in the building, and participated in the establishment of the Northern Battalion. With the foundation of the “Hapoel Battalions”. Israel joined them and became the living spirit among them. He was an excellent athlete, was active in swimming sports and even represented the Hapoel Association in many competitions. He had a good and sensitive heart and was loved by his friends with the simplicity of his manner and the light of his face. He radiated his good spirit and the joy of life in all those around him. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Israel was one of the first to respond to the call of Yishuv institutions and enlisted in the British army – for the cavalry. With his unit he served on the fronts of the Middle East and when there was a danger to Greece that it would fall into the hands of the Germans, his unit was sent with a British expeditionary force to arrest them. After a heroic war, the expeditionary force withdrew from Greece, but many of its soldiers were captured, and Israel among them. Israel was seriously injured in the battles on the town of Kalamata in Greece and on 1 Iyar, April 28, 1941, died of his wounds and was buried in a British military cemetery. He was commemorated in the “Book of the Press” and the “Volunteer Book”. An investigation conducted in 2017 found that his resting place was unknown. His name before his induction was Yisrael Salzberg. After his induction he changed his name to Dov Zilberberg. This fallen hero is a “maklan” – a hero whose burial place is unknown.