NAME: Menahem, David

LEHI ALIAS: Gideon

DATE OF BIRTH: June 17, 1920

DATE FALLEN: July 10, 1948

David was born to Yosef and Beracha in Port Said on June 1, 1920.

The family made aliyah with the movement en masse towards the Land of Israel due to the Nazi takeover of Germany, on December 20, 1934. They quickly integrated into the settlement culture of the Land of Israel. David was fourteen and began studying in the Tachkemoni School, then moved on to Nordea High School and the school for law and economics in Tel Aviv. With his legal education and his proficiency in the three official languages (Hebrew, English and Arabic), he became a translator. He joined the administrative system of the Mandatory government; he oversaw the legal department overseeing the austerity program enforced due to World War II. At the same time, he promoted physical development by working with the Maccabee sports organization. He loved photography and sometimes earned his livelihood by this.

He also helped run his brother Yoki’s theater, and he was known as a magician, whose performances were a breath of fresh air.

The British persecuted and sought to stamp out Zionism, which led David to join Lehi (as “Gideon”) and fight to drive them out.

On May 29, 1948, he joined the IDF, as one of the first members of the armored 8th Brigade. After five days of training in wireless technology, he became the communications officer of Company C of Battalion 82, going out with them to Operation Danny. On the day Lod Airport was captured, July 10, 1948 he was hit when a shell struck his half-track (along with almost everyone else in the vehicle). David and Bat-Sheva Altschuller were killed on the spot.

He was buried in the military section of the Nahalat Yitzhak Military Cemetery in Tel Aviv.