Bravely Defending Israel: The Fallen Soldiers of 1949

Isser Adler and Moshe Feig were Satmar Hasidic cousins who arrived in Israel in 1948. As soon as they got off the ship, they were asked if they wanted to help Jewish soldiers defend Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. They immediately said yes. They were joined by others like Shalom Tepper, who had fought as a partisan and survived Auschwitz, Aharon Hershkowitz, and Yaakov Yeshaya Karol, a survivor from Majdanek. All of them had something powerful in common: strong Jewish faith and deep commitment to Torah values. They were placed in what became known as the religious platoon during the War of Independence. Some of them were only 16 years old but claimed to be 18 so they could enlist and protect the Jewish people.

At first, they were just called “the religious platoon.” But one Friday, when all the soldiers at the base came back exhausted and hungry, this group gathered together to welcome Shabbat with singing and joy. The base commander walked by, saw the scene, and with emotion said, “This is Hashem’s platoon.” From then on, that became their nickname Hashem’s platoon, even though it didn’t last long officially.

The religious soldiers made sure their army base had a kosher kitchen, daily minyanim (prayer services), classes in Mishnah, and a fully Jewish atmosphere. When kosher food couldn’t be provided during the difficult days of the war, they didn’t complain. They lived for a full week on just matzah and salted fish, keeping their spirits high and their hearts focused on the mitzvah they were doing.

One of the few survivors of the platoon, Shimon Kutner, shared a memory from Yom Kippur of 1949, the first Yom Kippur after the founding of the State of Israel. The soldiers were suddenly called to go into battle. They answered that they were willing to risk their lives for Am Yisrael, the Jewish people, but first needed to ask a rabbi if it was allowed on such a holy day. The commander called the Chief Rabbi, who gave permission. The soldiers fought and returned safely. Kutner still remembers how Shabbat songs filled the air on base, amazing the nearby kibbutznikim and Haganah soldiers who had never seen Shabbat observed with such beauty and devotion.

The platoon operated in what was known then as “the Triangle,” between Kfar Saba and surrounding areas, and they carried out their missions with success and dedication. In November 1948, during the Hebrew month of Cheshvan 5709, the platoon was sent to the southern part of the country. A dangerous situation had developed. In the town of al-Faluja, thousands of Egyptian soldiers were trapped inside Israeli territory. They were led by General Sydney Said Taha, also known as “the Sudanese Tiger.” His forces had built strong defenses and were successfully holding back the IDF.

Even though the State of Israel had been declared several months earlier, this Egyptian stronghold in Cheshvan was still a threat. The government and army were deeply worried.

The Alexandroni Brigade put together a plan. Battalion 33 would capture the village of Al-Manshiya, which is today part of Kiryat Gat. The religious platoon, Company C, would take control of the nearby hill. Company 35 had a separate task: to capture the bridge near the village to stop Egyptian reinforcements. The operation was called “Operation Elimination.”

The soldiers trained for an entire month. On the second night of Chanukah, the operation began. At first, things went well. Company 33 took the village, and by 3:00 AM the religious platoon entered the area. By 4:30 AM, they moved to capture the hill but the battle became intense, and many soldiers were killed. Heavy rain turned the ground into thick mud, making it impossible to continue. They had to wait.

But there was a tragic miscommunication. Company 35 didn’t receive the message about the delay. They attacked the bridge anyway and failed. Many were hurt, and they had to retreat.

The religious platoon pulled back to a courtyard at the base of the hill and continued fighting from there. Then, an Egyptian armored convoy managed to come in from behind. The Israeli soldiers saw the vehicles and thought they were part of the IDF. They didn’t realize the truth until it was too late.

The Egyptians surrounded the courtyard and began attacking. The first two platoons managed to escape, but the religious platoon was trapped. Their commander, Ben Zion Hellman, was told to retreat. But he answered, “I won’t leave until the last wounded soldier is evacuated.” The soldiers kept fighting with strength and courage.

Almost the entire religious platoon was killed. Only their commander Moshe Manheim managed to break through the Egyptian forces with a small group. Two others were taken captive. In total, 67 soldiers from the religious platoon fell, along with 22 others from another platoon in the Alexandroni Brigade.

Eighty-nine Jewish soldiers lay on the battlefield. There was no way to bring them home.

The Chief Military Rabbi requested permission to go in and identify the fallen. He asked the Egyptian intelligence officer in charge who later became President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Nasser agreed. He was curious about the black boxes that had been found on each of the fallen soldiers. The rabbi explained: they were tefillin, worn by Jews every weekday morning for over 3,000 years. Nasser responded, “Now I understand the bravery. That explains why they fought the way they did even surrounded and with no chance.”

Sadly, most of the fallen could not be identified. The bodies were buried together in a mass grave at the Nachalat Yitzhak Cemetery in Givatayim.

Today, visiting that grave is a deeply emotional experience. Many of the gravestones say the same heartbreaking line: “Came to the Land in 5708. Fell in 5709.”

These were Jews who survived Europe and came to Israel with hope. They didn’t have time to build a life. But they gave their lives for the Jewish people.