Shmuel, Moshe (Motzi)

Moshe (Motzi) son of Victoria and Joseph Shmuel, was born on 13.4.1928 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Moshe studied at the Hebrew Gymnasium, where he acquired the knowledge of the Hebrew language. Young Motzi despised and hated the Fascists. With the first outbreak of hostilities against the Jews in Bulgaria, he left his parents’ home and joined the underground that fought the Nazis. Moshe fought in the ranks of the Bulgarian partisans until the Soviet liberation of Bulgaria. He volunteered for the Bulgarian People’s Army and served as a tank driver in many battles. He was courageous and promoted to the rank of officer in the motorized corps. He was 21. When Moshe was discharged from the army, he made aliyah on May 4, 1948, on the illegal immigrant ship Bonim v’Lochim. He was caught by the British and sent to Cyprus. After the Hebrew defensive forces became aware of the importance of his combat experience, Moshe was smuggled out of the camp and arrived in Israel by boat. As soon as he arrived he joined the army and served in the position of deputy company commander in the 7th Brigade. He lived in the homeland only a few days. Moshe left with his company for Operation Ben-Nun Bet, the second attack on the Legion compound in Latrun. The attacking forces had to retreat. Moshe fell in this battle on the 21st of Iyar, May 30, 1948. After his fall, he was promoted to First Lieutenant (lieutenant). On the 25th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was laid to rest in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.