Video: A Bravery Fiercer than Death

"I don't know if there was any company in the Israel Defense Forces or in any army in the world that assembled such splendid manpower, pure bravery, and spiritual abundance as this company, who will forever be known by our people as the "lamed hey" (the thirty-five)…These lions of Israel were a mix of youthful spirit and glory, superior wisdom…and bravery fiercer than death." --David Ben Gurion

65 years ago this week, 35 young Haganah soldiers - mostly students at the Hebrew University - set out from Jerusalem to bring much needed supplies to the kibbutzim in the besieged Etzion Bloc south of the city. The soldiers were ambushed en route, and, despite fighting valiantly, the entire company was killed prior to reaching their destination. Toldot Yisrael's latest movie A Bravery Fiercer than Death: The 35 Heroes of Gush Etzion tells their tragic yet inspiring story.

This is the fourth installment in the "Eyewitness 1948" short film series produced by Toldot Yisrael and was generously sponsored by the Alexander Family in memory of Shaul Pnueli, one of the fallen. The first three films in the series, Echoes of a Shofar, The Story of a Vote, and The Volunteers were made possible through the support of the Jim Joseph Foundation and others and have been viewed online over 450,000 times since the series launch in September 2010! A companion teachers guide including background information, discussion questions, and additional resources is available on their website.


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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Remembering the Lamed Heh -- 35 who fought to save Gush Etzion

Today (5th Shevat) marks 62 years since the tragedy of the "Lamed Hey," -- when 35 Haganah soldiers were killed attempting to resupply and reinforce the besieged kibbutzim in Gush Etzion in 1948.

"...The fate of the remaining 35 was reconstructed from British and Arab reports. The six hours of night did not suffice. About an hour before their destination it became light. They were detected by an Arab shepherd or women not far from Tzurif. They did not harm the Arab civilians, who hurried to sound the alarm, and a large group of armed Arabs gathered to block their way. The battle lasted the entire day. The last defender was apparently killed at about 4:30 PM. The British in the nearby police station did not interfere until the battle was over. The Arab attackers mutilated the bodies of the defenders according to British soldiers who witnessed the aftermath of the attack. A soldier who took pictures of mutilated bodies left his roll of film to be developed in Jerusalem and never came back for it. Several decades later the negatives were discovered, but it was decided not to publish the atrocities. (A personal account - Fallen Heroes of Gush Etzion)" (source)

Following are video excerpts from 3 personal testimonies about this tragedy, recorded by Toldot Yisrael, an organization dedicated to preserving Israel's heritage from 1948

- Refael Ben Aroyah, Commander of Hartuv, where the 35 set out from.
- Yitzhak Navon, Commander of Arab Division of Haganah Intelligence, later Fifth President of Israel
- Miriam Ben Peretz, wife of one of Lamed hey, later Professor Emeritus of Educational University of Haifa and Israel Prize laureate in Educational Research

The actual video starts 30 seconds into the clip (its blank for the first 30 seconds).

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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד