Sela, Benjamin

Son of Lipa and Rachel, was born in 1923 in the Degania Bet group. From childhood he grew up in the countryside and in the spirit and aspirations of the group. He was silent but still mischievous of all his contemporaries, quick and clever and inventive. He excelled in running among his classmates and beat them all in competitions, but after the victory he smiled shyly and disappeared. He studied at the main school in Degania and in the higher grades, his talent and wisdom were discovered. He was one of the best students in the class. He usually chose silence, but when a question arose in the classroom and they saw him smiling and silent, they knew that the solution with him and urged him to speak, and when he began to speak, the face lit up. After completing his studies, he entered the agricultural work with great devotion and seriousness. He was diligent and practical and delved into the problems with which he worked. His friends called him “an old-timer and full of knowledge.” Even when he grew up he spoke little, and only his eyes, his forehead, and a short sentence that he uttered from time to time testified that behind the silence of the north was a profound observation and a balanced assessment of things. He was serious, moderate and, first and foremost, with peace of mind accompanied by inner content, a culture of soul and gentleness. When a family was born and a daughter was born, he found a fountain of happiness that was quiet and profound with all his Lev and nature. He was not eager for military life, but he stood ready for the order. After the establishment of the state, called to reserve duty. On 18.5.1948 he got up as usual to go to work in the orchard, but was ordered to go to the battlefield. He said goodbye to his wife and told her it was his last day. Accompanied by his friends, he went to Zemah, to the Alignment that blocked Syrian progress. On May 18 the Syrians launched an attack on a plant with the help of artillery and tanks. Our forces did not withstand the intensity of the Syrian attack. At first, the town of Tzemach fell, and finally the police station, and the defenders retreated under Syrian fire towards Degania. In this battle he fell in the fields of Tzemach near Degania Bet on May 18, 1948. He went to Tzemach when the situation was desperate and when it was clear that the unit would not be able to delay the enemy, he stayed there and said, “I did not receive an order to retreat.” He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Degania B. He left behind a wife and daughter, Anat.