NAME: Hoch Moshe

LEHI ALIAS: Rebbeleh

DATE OF BIRTH: August 23, 1923

DATE FALLEN: December 23, 1948

Moshe was born on August 23, 1923 in Lvov Poland, to Alexander and Miryam Hoch. He studied at a Polish School, and attended ‘Tarbut’ Hebrew School afternoons. The family made Aliyah with their three children: Shaul, Moshe, and Rivka in March 1934, settling in Haifa, where  youngest son  Asher was born. The family was traditionalist. Moshe studied at ‘Netsach-Israel’ School, then continued his secondary education through external exams. Soon he joined Beitar. Haifa was a ‘Red’ city and  Beitar-niks suffered  persecution; walking the streets in the Beitar uniform involved physical danger. The difficulty in recruiting Beitar members caused a small group to leave the movement and establish the ‘Matityahu Scouts’ where  Moshe was a member. From there they were recruited to Etzel.  Moshe joined Etzel 1938, underwent instruction and weapons training, and was tasked in various ways. After the split in Etzel, he followed Yair  to Lehi. Moshe was active in the Haifa branch, in almost all activities (distributing info material, surveillance of British targets and more). On September 17,1943 he was arrested  while moving underground equipment from a secret hideout; the neighbours, thinking it was a burglary, called the police. Moshe was jailed in Akko, stood  trial, and was acquitted. However while exiting the courthouse, he was detained by the CID and placed under Administrative Arrest at Latrun Camp. Exiled to Eritrea, then  Sudan and Kenya with the first 251 prisoners, Moshe was moved between prisons for five years. He utilized the exile years for studies, qualifying through  correspondence as an accountant. Moshe returned with the last exiles 1948, and joined the IDF immediately (despite Kenya exiles being delayed). He served in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, with its attached Re-enforcement Company. Going down to the Negev with his unit, Moshe was killed during Operation ‘Horev’ on December 23,1948,  21 Kislev 5709, while conquering Position 86 near Khan-Yunis, in a battle of the few against many. He was temporarily buried at Kibbutz Gvulot, then transferred for interment at the Military Section of Haifa Cemetery on August 11,1949.

הנצחה באנדרטה ביער לח”י במשמר איילון
שמו של משה הוך חרוט על לוח באנדרטה ביער לח”י
לבנת זיכרון על שם משה הוך בהיכל הזיכרון הממלכתי בהר הרצל