Silvovich, David-Yonatan (Dudi)

David (Dudi), son of Kevin and Julius, was born on 4 December 1948 in Cape Town, South Africa, where he completed his elementary and secondary education and then completed his academic education in English and history at Cape Town University. He was very active in the “Ichud HaBonim” Zionist youth movement, and on his behalf was the center of activity in the Cape Town area and was a member of a core group of immigrants from 1967 to 1968. In 1971 David fulfilled his dream, immigrated to Israel and joined the Yizrael group. David was drafted into the IDF in July 1971 as part of an overseas volunteer and took his first steps in the service of Nachal. After the basic training course, he was sent to a course for machine-gun operators. He was later sent to the Armored Corps School and was trained in a tank crew course. Wherever he went, he was highly respected by his commanders and was very fond of his comrades. In July 1973, he was discharged from the regular army and assigned to a reserve unit in the Armored Corps. David was also active in the field of sports in Israel and was one of the pioneers of rugby and cricket. He represented Israel in the cricket competitions held under the Maccabiah. It was not long before David was devoted to building the country, as he had desired. A few months after his release from the army, the Yom Kippur War broke out. David hurried to join a unit sent to battle in Sinai. In the confusion of those days, he did not reach his unit, but to “the brigade of Natka,” in which he fought in the area of ​​the Suez Canal. In the battles he played the role of a tank gunner, and with his unit he crossed the canal. In the battle that took place in the battles of the Abu Sultan camp on October 18, 1973, his tank was hit directly by the ambush, but it continued to move in flames until it exploded. None of the crew was able to get out. David was first declared a missing person, but his body was later discovered and he was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery on Kibbutz Yireel. He was twenty-four years old. David’s commander wrote to the bereaved family: “Your son David Silbovich was a tank crew member in an armored unit and served under my command. I recognized him as an excellent armor man, who bravely fought valiantly and performed the tasks assigned to him – with exemplary responsibility. He liked his comrades-in-arms and commanders, and his fall was a heavy loss to our unit. “