Tzalach Shalem

Born in 1948 in Baghdad, Iraq, Tzalach immigrated to Israel in 1950 when he was only two years old and settled in Pardes Hannah, where he studied at the Merhavim elementary school in Pardes Hannah and later moved to the boarding school Kfar Chasidim in Haifa Tzalach was born as a firstborn son of the Shalem family and was later born with three brothers and two sisters, and the family was in a two-room apartment. Much of his childhood, and unlike the rest of his age, who could play and play without worry, was imposed on him by the heavy burden of the need to help support the household. In the summer of 1967, Tzalach, the eldest of his brothers, was forced to assume the role of head of the family and help his mother, who did her best to keep her sons from starving. At the entrance to the welfare office in Pardes Hannah, Tzalach served in the IDF and his other brothers and sisters were dispersed in the homes of foster families. Throughout his childhood he had not abandoned his duty and supported his mother as best he could. He was a faithful and devoted son and a loving brother, who was forced by necessity to understand a father and his younger siblings. Due to the great responsibility he had been given suddenly, he had matured before his time and while his friends were running around the neighborhood he had to find various jobs to support his family. The children of the family immediately accepted his authority and confidence in his judgment, and he learned to ignore his needs as an adolescent and devoted all his time and energies to the family. Despite all this, he never refused to help friends and when asked to help, did not evade claiming he had no time. He had great skill and every job he did succeeded. Soon people learned to appreciate and respect him, as if he were an old man with experience. The adults accepted him as an equal, and the young people admired him for his talents and his ability to handle any situation. Despite his difficult life, Tzalach grew up and became an adult and responsible for his solid character. Tzahal was drafted into the IDF in mid-February 1967 and assigned to the Armored Corps, and after completing basic training successfully, he was sent to the truck drivers course at the IDF’s expense. He was very successful in the course and passed without difficulty the practical examination of the Licensing Office and was sent to study in another course of heavy vehicle drivers. He did well in this course, too, and achieved good grades. After the course he was placed in an armored unit as a heavy-duty driver. Even during his army service he did not neglect his family and did not forget his mother and her difficult life. At every opportunity, he made sure to visit her and help her and even encourage her to continue. The tension created by the demands of his job and his great concern for his home and his mother often caused him to become entangled in traffic violations. Nevertheless, a disciplined soldier and a good man were successful, whom everyone appreciated. When his release date came, his commanders recommended enlisting him for a year of army service. Tzalach accepted his commander’s request and volunteered to serve in the regular army. After his release from the IDF and about half a year before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, Tzal decided to try and build his own home with the help of his girlfriend, who married and established their home in the Remez neighborhood of Pardes Hanna. (18.10.1973) was killed in an enemy attack on the road north of Tessa, and was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Pardes Hannah. Wife, parents, three brothers and two sisters In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the defense minister wrote: “He was a devoted soldier and an excellent friend. Tzahal was fond of his commanders and comrades in arms”His family donated a Torah scroll to the Shaare Zedek Synagogue in the Remez neighborhood of Pardes Hannah