Stern, Ze’ev (Roger)

Son of Rachel and Eli, was born in 1928 in Poland. His parents were killed before his eyes by the Nazis who occupied France and young Roger fled to the mountains and joined the French Resistance fighters (the “Maki”). He participated in sabotage operations and excelled bravely and devotedly to his comrades in battle. Ze’ev managed to reach northern Africa and joined the forces of General de Gaulle. In the ranks of the Free French Army he participated in the liberation of Paris and was wounded in the battles. With one of the first convoys of French Jewish youth, he immigrated to Israel on the illegal immigrant ship “Tel Hai” in 1946, after a short training period. He settled in Givatayim and worked in the building. Immediately upon his arrival in Israel he joined the Hagana. On November 29, 1947, the day of the partition decision at the UN General Assembly, he became a member of the Alexandroni Brigade and took part in many battles, including in the Battle of Castel, on May 13, 1948, Arab Kfar Saba, when his armored vehicle was hit by an enemy shell. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery at Nahalat Yitzhak.