Solmon-Salomon, Raphael
Son of Leah and Bezalel. He was born on April 9, 1928 in the Czech Republic. He is from a family of four. When Raphael was fourteen, he was sent with his parents and brothers to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was separated from his family. In 1945, at the end of the war, Rafael returned to his home to look for the family, and he learned that his parents and brother perished in the Holocaust and that he remained the only one of them. Raphael succeeded in locating his uncle, who was in Prague at the time. With his help, and with the help of a Jewish family that adopted him, he managed to study mechanics. In 1947, he met for the first time with emissaries from Palestine, and with their encouragement he set out for a training camp, which was conducted in secret. In July 1948, Rafael boarded the ship Altalena. He was drafted into the Alexandroni Brigade as a mortar crew member and participated in the War of Independence, and at the end of the war he was sent to serve in the Northern Command as a mechanic driver, and later served as a vehicle sergeant and as a vehicle officer. Was sent to the officers’ course and at the end of it he assumed responsibility for the entire vehicle at the base, and he developed and developed the vehicle’s division until it became one of the best of the corps, and even the IDF. He trained generations of drivers, mechanics and car officers, and established, on his own initiative, workshops and work cells. During his service, Raphael was married to his girlfriend Olga and their two children, Leah and Bezalel, were born, and Raphael’s children bear the names of his parents, who perished in the Holocaust. .. An example! Property for the wing! Outstanding! Professional without competitors. … excels in all the performance required of it. … performs his duty with dedication and responsibility. … officer sixty years old! His high age affects him day by day. … The vehicle is his life’s work – not just a job. … straight, devoted, loyal. “Raphael moved on to the rank of lieutenant colonel on April 5, 1993. On April 5, 1993, Rafael died of a serious illness and was brought to eternal rest in the military cemetery in Haifa. He was sixty-five years old. Survived by Raya – Olga, two grown children – Leah and Bezalel and five grandchildren. The commander of the wing separated Rafael from the open grave: “You were the embodiment of the Jewish story in the present century … A boy, a refugee who immigrated to Israel, established a home and family and became an officer and commander … In the green Jezreel Valley you built your second home: You grew, nurtured, Of soldiers … You were an uncompromising commander and at the same time a caring and loving father. ” In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the unit’s commander wrote: “Salomon served on the wing for thirty-seven years … Throughout his service, he displayed a rare dedication and demonstrated exemplary responsibility … He worked with him and recognized him as a commander … And as a person … The car division under the leadership of Salomon is an example and model for all the vehicles in the air force and the entire IDF … “
