Wigolik, Amnon

Amnon, son of Henia and Abraham, was born on the 17th of Adar I, 5627 (17.2.1927) in Jerusalem. At the beginning of November 1947, he was sent to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, where he served as one of the commanders of the Jewish Quarter and was able to evade at the last minute the frequent searches of British policemen and soldiers. On December 19, 1947, he managed to escape, but when he saw the searchers approaching his men near a hidden weapons depot, he provoked them for diversion, so that they would not go to the weapons storeroom, and after a long chase they caught him and found nothing in him, beating him, angry at running in vain. The gun that had been tied to his back dropped, they looked at him with respect and they stopped hitting him. He spent a couple of days in jail until trial, suffering impatiently from sitting in idleness, while every young man was required to act. At the trial, he called for a declaration of his right and duty as a Jew to protect his people, and especially in the Holy City, which the British order-keepers permitted to the rioters. He was sentenced to two months imprisonment or 20 pounds fine. The fine was paid and he was released and after two days of rest he went to a course for sabotage officers. His brother tried to dissuade him, because of the danger, but he claimed that being one of the few qualified to do so, he had to go. After successfully completing the course, he served as deputy company commander on the southern Jerusalem front, and often broke through the Mekor Haim neighborhood and brought supplies. Amnon also transferred weapons to the Old City and the commercial center. In early May 1948 he was seriously injured in the hands and head when a mine exploded when he examined the mines that his friends hid. A few days later, his brother, who was wounded in the battle, lay next to him. He underwent a dangerous operation to restore his sight at the Tel Hashomer Hospital. In the night after the operation, on the 14th of Tevet 5709 (15.1.1949) he was redeemed of all his pains and anguish. He was brought to rest in the heroes’ section of the Nahalat Yitzhak Military Cemetery.