Shneiderman, Alexander (Alik)

Son of-Ilana and Moshe, born in the Soviet Union on the 16th of Tishrei 5719. In the land of his birth he completed eight years of elementary school, and in the fall of 1973, at the height of the Yom Kippur War, immigrated to Israel with his parents and settled in Karmiel. At the age of 15 he studied Hebrew and acquired vocational education (industrial electricity and electronics) in courses of the Ministry of Labor, and in November 1975 he joined the IDF, underwent basic training and served in the IAF. After that, he took a course as a truck driver and was promoted to corporal in October 1978. At the same time, his health deteriorated and his medical profile was lowered, and Alexander was transferred to a rear unit. In November 1980 he was released from the regular army and began working as a taxi driver. He married and had a daughter. During the Peace for Galilee War, he was called several times to serve in Lebanon. The last time he was drafted was on February 17, 1985. On Sunday, 17 Adar 5745 (10.3.1985), one day before he was released, he returned from his Saturday home vacation to his base in Lebanon. He drove with a group of soldiers in an army truck. Next to the “calf gate”, near the Israeli border, a booby-trapped car drove towards them, driven by a suicide bomber. The car exploded near the truck and 12 soldiers who were traveling in it were killed. Among them was Alexander. He was 26 years old. He was laid to rest in the military section of the Karmiel cemetery. He left behind a wife, daughter, son, parents and sister. Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin wrote in a letter of condolence to his family: “Corporal Alexander gave his life for his homeland, and he was devoted to his job, a loyal and beloved friend of everything.” The commander of his unit wrote to his family: “He was an exemplary soldier, always volunteered for every mission”