Yedidya (Zellenfreund), Elazar-Ze’ev

Son of Malka and Gershon-Yehuda, was born on 19.2.1930 in Jerusalem. When he was 10 years old, he was circumcised by his father, and his mother took upon her the burden of making a living (a home for trade and crafts for optics), the home and the education of her two orphans. He tried to help her with the care of the little brother and his ambition was to learn the profession when he grew up, to relieve the burden of his mother. He studied at the religious school “Horev” and when he was 15 and a half graduated from high school. From his childhood he joined the “Ezra” youth group near the school. Was faithful to his religious-national views, and his manners and personal virtues loved him to the best of his knowledge. Influenced his friends, members of haredi families from German immigrants, to integrate into the life of the youth of Eretz Israel to develop their physical and defensive capabilities while maintaining their religious character in full, and to compel the girls to join the ranks of the Haganah. In discussions and clarifications in his movement he was able to explain and convince that the obligation to the homeland also rests with the religious youth, and that holiness must be brought into life, not isolation from outside. While studying diligently, helping the mother and public activity in his movement, he also found time to develop his physical fitness in the religious sports association Elitzur, where he completed a course for counselors and was liked as a guide and friend of his apprentices. After completing his studies he aspired to go to Palmach training and become a farmer on a religious kibbutz, but he was unable to do so due to his youth and family circumstances. For the time being, he settled for other kibbutz life: he studied for a year at the Kol Torah Yeshiva, “He did not find the desired perfection in the way he thought, but as a wise man he could compromise with reality, hoping to perfect the future form of Torah education in accordance with the needs of the time, and joining the religious battalion of the Gadna. In addition, he completed a course in the Haganah, and although he saw in military education the blurring of man’s character as a spiritual being, and the duty to salute the commander, who was nothing more than flesh and blood, he did not like him, understood the necessity and accepted it. The War of Independence stabilized among the first and in the difficult tasks he was devoted to his subordinates and was keen on their welfare. While he was saving the housewares from their apartment on Solel Street, which was destroyed when the Palestine Post was bombed, in a car bomb set up by desert English soldiers who joined the Arab gangs, he also found time to try to secure the release of one of the privates in his class. After the British left, he fought in battles in various areas of Jerusalem and its environs, in Sheikh Jarrah and in an attack on Notre Dame Church, was promoted to the rank of platoon commander, But did not manage to get a platoon. Was in a guard position in a bloodless position and faced a severe attack. After the attack he was attacked by a starvation and since the kitchen was not kosher, he went to eat at the spot on Princess Mary Street, where the kitchen was kosher. On the way he was seriously wounded by shrapnel and after a few days of suffering he died of his wounds on 8 June 1948. He was brought to rest at the Sanhedria cemetery in Jerusalem.