Son of Rivka and Nathan, he was born on February 28, 1953. He was born in a family that already had two daughters, and his parents’ joy was boundless by the fact that their handsome son was to bear the surname. His father, Natan, immigrated to Israel as a pioneer in 1936. He left behind his parents and 11 brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, all of whom perished at the hands of the Nazis, and his mother immigrated with her family from Lithuania when she was 6 years old. Yehuda was surrounded by warmth and love in his home, but not for long. As a small child, fate began to become cruel to his family, and his mother became ill and prevented her from functioning properly as a housewife. Yehuda was five years old when he was orphaned of his father, and his mother was hospitalized, and his two sisters were older than him, but too young to be his mother. His mother returned from the hospital to his home, and then the family reunited for a short period, and a warm relationship was established between Yehuda and his sisters, during which time Yehuda was injured in an accident and left him crippled in his right hand. If he
succeeded in acquiring education in various areas over the years, it was thanks to his skills and willpower. When he was 12 years old, Yehuda left the house and moved to a foster family in Kibbutz Sa’ad. There he found a warm home, and that’s where his sisters came to visit. He joined the family and her children on the kibbutz, studied at the school and completed tenth grade. Then Yehuda decided to leave school and go to work in the kibbutz farm. He worked as a tractor operator in the field. But even when he left school, Yehuda remained active with the children. At the same time, his intense love for the country, for nature, and for walks began to stand out. He traveled extensively with his friends on the kibbutz and with the youth group of the Ein Gedi Field School. He was 16 years old when his mother died. A week later, his brother-in-law, whom he loved, was killed in a car accident. The deaths had a profound effect on the boy. He shut himself up with his grief. But during this difficult period, his personality was already crystallized, and Yehuda became a central figure in the adoptive family and in the company of the kibbutz boys. At that time his married sister’s family was a regular base for him, and he was in it as a family member in every way. In February 1972, Yehuda enlisted in the IDF, hid his handicap and served in the Sayeret Haruv, where he was a courageous fighter, taking part in raids in Jordan and maintaining a line along the Jordan River. He began to instruct in the school for commanders, was promoted to corporal and sent to an officers’ course. But at the same time the Yom Kippur War broke out. Yehuda left the course and went to the front, to look for his comrades in the Sayeret, who fought in heavy battles on the Egyptian front. Many of his comrades fell and were wounded, and when the war ended he preferred to stay with those who remained in the Sayeret after the fighting. He refused to return to the officer’s course. After his regular service in the IDF, Yehuda went on to serve as a tour guide in the town of Netivot, where he became acquainted with the youth of the town with his wisdom and courage. The boys of Netivot, who admired him, remained attached to him even after he left his position in the town, while completing his high school studies in Netivot, completing his matriculation exams. During this period he lived in the home of his married sister and found emotional support in her and her family. After completing his studies at the seminary, he returned to Kibbutz Sa’ad and began working as a physical education teacher at the Yavneh regional school. He then started teaching at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. In this work he found satisfaction in his desires. He was enthusiastic about his work as an educator and guide. At the same time Yehuda wrote letters and put forth his thoughts on religion and nationality. He wrote in one of his letters “What attracts me to this type of work is above all the love of nature with all that is connected to it, and also the people, who are generally serious, willing to contribute to each other, united in the task of preserving nature and imparting natural values to the population in Israel.” He loved literature and books, especially about history and nature. During his many trips around Israel, Yehuda found archeological findings and gathered them lovingly. The rare ones he donated to the museum at Beit Ussishkin. Sport Mountain climbing attracted him to a field school near Mount Hermon. In this role as well, Yehuda was discovered with his special skills. In April 1980, during his service in the reserves, he was promoted to the rank of Major General When the Peace for Galilee war broke out, Yehuda was with his unit, which led the heavy battles in the eastern sector, and fought in Ein Zahlatta in face to face combat on the Beirut-Damascus Highway. On 2 Tamuz, 23 June 1982, when his unit was preparing for an attack on Mansuriya, a shell fell inside his department and Yehuda Hayim was killed. He was 29 years old when he died. He was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He left behind two sisters and adoptive parents. The commander of his unit wrote in a letter of condolence to his family, “Our unit was called to lead the front force in some of the most difficult battles, in face-to-face combat, and was hit by heavy artillery shelling.” His friends in the elite unit devoted a chapter to him in their book about the fallen of the unit in the Peace for Galilee War, and was published in a booklet published by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. A magnificent study room at the Hermon Field School, which was designed as a learning center for the instructors of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, was built by his sister Medina and her family. Organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) In honor of Shavuot, new books are given to the study room by the Bartz family – his sister’s family.
