Shneid, Benno (Dov)

Son of Lina and Ze’ev, was born on October 20, 1919 in Berlin. In 1937, after graduating from high school, he immigrated to Israel as part of Youth Aliyah and settled in Jerusalem. He earned a living by doing odd jobs and finally worked as a waiter at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. During the events in Israel, Benno enlisted in the Naval Guards and took part in several secret operations. Later he enlisted in the ranks of the Haganah and in the outbreak of the War of Independence he took part in the battle and went among the first and fulfilled his role faithfully and devotedly to the defense of Jerusalem. At the age of 22, he married Yehudit Zerachia, an old Jerusalem family, and they had two children – Ilana, who was named after his mother who perished in the Holocaust. Benno was a lively man with a sense of humor, cheerful and Simcha. Such was in his daily life. He loved to help others and was a loving husband and father and devoted to his wife and children. On the 3rd of Iyar 5708 (June 3, 1948), Benno arrived on a short vacation of several hours to visit his wife and children. His wife Yehudit begged him not to return to the base that day, but he insisted, “If I sit at home, who will protect my wife and children, the enemy will kill them.” And so that day Benno returned to his base and on his way fell, defending Talpiot and Arnona when he was hit by a sniper’s bullet. He was buried in Sheikh Bader Aleph. His death left behind a wife, a 5-year-old girl, and a six-month-old child. On the 28th of Elul 5710 (10.9.1950) he was put to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.