Shpindel, Yehuda

Yehuda, son of Annie (Chana) and Shlomo Shpindel, was born on June 3, 1931 in Munich, Germany to parents who emigrated there from Poland. When the Nazis came to power they moved to Toulouse, France where the family hid in a village near Toulouse. On July 16, 1945, Yehuda immigrated to Israel with the help of the Joint Distribution Committee, was accepted to the Youth Aliyah and was educated at the “Aliyah” institution in Petach Tikva. At the start of the War of Independence, Yehuda joined the Palmach’s religious unit in the “Yiftah” Brigade, which was stationed in Sde Eliyahu. Yehuda was a serious and wise lad, devoted to his work and his studies. In preparation for the first truce, the Yiftah Brigade was sent to the central region and they took part in the fighting in the Latrun area. On the nights of 17-18 July 1948, towards the beginning of the second truce, the “Haemek” battalion seized Shilat and an outpost in the eastern part of the Korikor ridge, in order to threaten the Legion forces in Latrun. In the morning it became clear that the Legion force was holding the western part of the ridge. The enemy attacked and the brigade was forced to withdraw. In the harsh retreat, in an open area under crossfire, Yehuda fell, on the 11th of Tamuz 5708 (18.7.1948) and on the 11th of Adar 5702 (28.2.1950) was brought to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.