[Page 211]

On the Nation's Stage

[Page 213]

Betsalel Mishne

He lost his father at a young age, and while he was of school age, he had to support himself and his mother. He got a job as a salesman in Moshe Sofer's fabric store. He worked there many hours and found satisfaction in the fact that he could help his mother.

Even so, his soul sought wide-open spaces, and he spent all his free time at the Pioneer branch house in our town.

Later, he left for a training kibbutz in Klosova and immigrated to the Land of Israel. Unluckily for him, 1939 was a year with no immigration certificates, and he had to immigrate illegally on the ship Colorado. After a difficult journey, he arrived in Israel at the end of that year.

He joined Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, and three years later, in 1942, he was drafted into the Jewish Brigade in the name of his kibbutz.

In 1946, he was released from military duty, and he was married on March 18, 1946, just before his discharge.

Mishne didn't return to his kibbutz, which had been dismantled during his service, but stayed in the city. He went to work as a builder, in road construction, or in any available job. Thanks to his diligence and his status as an ex-soldier, he didn't suffer from unemployment. He saved his pennies, and he dreamed of buying a home and starting a family. When he was close to fulfilling his dream, the War of Independence broke out, and as an experienced tank driver, he was one of the first to be drafted into the Israel Defense Forces.

One day, he was able to visit his home and pregnant wife. In another week or a month, he would have become a father, something he wanted so much. But that same night, he was called back to action, and on 3 Tamuz 5709, he fell in the battle of Rosh Pina. No one knew where he died, and for many days, Betsalel was counted among the missing.

With his death, he left a widow, who gave birth five days later to his son, Avitsur, who is now a certified engineer.

We will remember Betsalel Mishne, a man from Vishnevets and a responsible volunteer, as a proud son of our town.

[Page 214]

Ben-Tsion (Bentsi) Tsur

At his parents' home and at school, he absorbed a love of his homeland and an unlimited dedication to its values. During his school years, he was active in the Israel Scouts movement and Gadna ^[1]. He took part in all classes, notably the section commander course, which he finished with distinction.

He was a talented actor and an excellent accordion player.

When he finished his final exams in summer 5725, he asked his parents to sign a document permitting him to leave school immediately, before he turned 18.

At the recruiting center, he volunteered to serve in an elite unite of the Armored Corps and was sent to one of the brigades in the Negev.

For close to a year, he endured difficult training that included courses in navigation, driving, and section and reconnaissance command, and he completed them with great success.

On the completion of his courses, he was appointed the brigade's operations sergeant and carried out his duty loyally.

He was liked by his unit because of his kind heart and his talent for entertainment and music. Bentsi was always the center of graduation parties or even just an evening around the campfire. He organized all the graduation parties.

[Page 215]

When battles broke out, he fought in the armored truck division and took part in the battle in Khan-Yunis and the Rafiah junction. According to his commanding officer, he was a good fighter, and together they cleared fortified posts.

As the battle continued, his armored truck was hit, and during a reorganization, Bentsi asked to join his friends Shaul and Yoram, of blessed memory, in the lead jeep.

In the battle on the El-Jirady post on the road to El-Arish, the jeep was hit by a tank shell, and all three were killed.

In one of his last letters during the preparation period, he wrote to his mother, “Don't worry, Mother, you should be proud to have a son over here.”

And indeed, we're trying to find comfort in the fact that he gave his soul for the sake of the nation of Israel, since his only wish was to continue to live in his homeland.

He was nineteen and a half when he fell in battle.

May his memory be blessed.

[Page 216]

Neta Hadari

Neta Hadari fell in combat at the age of 22-1/2, just before the reunification of Jerusalem and the liberation of the Old City. He was one of the paratroopers killed on Ammunition Hill, and his name is honored and embroidered in the legends of heroes.

At a young age, he lost his father, Izye Hadari. He was educated in Givat Hashlosha and cared for by his mother, who had six sons and daughters. Her family was one of the largest in Israel.

When he reached the age of 18, he joined a Fighting Pioneer Youth corps that was planning to settle in Kibbutz Palmach Tsuba in the Judea Mountains, where he joined the paratroopers.

When he returned home, he met Rachel Rozen of Vishnevets, who became his wife. He got married and fulfilled his dream of building a home and family. As a young father, he was privileged to raise his firstborn son, but not his daughter.

His son and daughter were orphaned, and his wife was widowed at a young age: too young, much too young.

We'll never know how long young people like them will become orphans and join the ranks of the bereaved. But we know that we'll never forget the sacrifice of those who allow us to breathe the air of our liberated, expanded, and strong homeland.

Neta Hadari, a Vishnevets son-in-law, is someone to be proud of from our generation and someone whose name is worth remembering.

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