Memorial to the Fallen of 1948
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When the War of Independence was over, an atmosphere of heavy mourning befell the moshav, which had lost eight of its sons and seven students. Following discussions, the decision was reached to build a memorial sculpted in stone, and sculptor Batia Lishansky was selected for the task. In 1950, a 35-ton limestone block was quarried in the Galilee and brought here to the boulevard with great effort.
The sculptor lived on the moshav for about a year while she crafted the sculpture with a hammer and chisel. She was assisted by Abraham Giat, who specialized in stone carving and was a graduate of the Yemenite Department at Bezalel Art School. Giat was also responsible for carving out the letters and symbols on the marble slabs at the bottom part of the monument.
The northern wall bears a dedication written by Eliyahu Amitzur, one of the founders of the moshav, who lost his eldest son, Ami, in the war.
A memorial built
In memory of the sons who set out to face the enemy
In the struggle for Israel’s revival.
The top part of the memorial is a stone sculpture that features five human figures, and therefore transgresses the second commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” Many arguments revolved around this matter.
Artist Eli Shamir relates:
״Amitzur, who lost his son Ami in the War of Independence, was opposed to the non-Jewish style of the upper part of the memorial. He was only in favor of the lower part, the altar, the supposedly Jewish altar. He was opposed to having a sculpture that
was allegedly from the Christian European culture on top of the Jewish altar.״
The sculpture shows five figures featuring elements from the Palmach, such as a knit cap and a rifle. Four figures are walking forward, while one figure turns back and is holding onto a plow.
The inspiration for the figure holding the plow is explained by moshav member Zevik Givoli:
״As we were told then, our neighbor, Ami Segal, was waiting to enlist already because the war had started. He was barely 18 years old, and the very day after he left the farm and his work, he reached Nir Am, where there was a bombing just a day or two later, and he was killed on the spot. So as we were told, among these figures, we see the one who is still looking back toward the farm, holding the plow, but
nevertheless going with all of the guys to war, with the Palmach members.״
The sculpture shows the influence of European sculpting styles. The figures protruding from the stone are reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Slaves sculptures.
The idea of the struggle for freedom is familiar from the expression, “Last generation of enslavement, first of redemption,” which referred to the generation that established the State of Israel.
The idea of the bravery of the few who sacrificed themselves for the greater good is also familiar from Auguste Rodin’s sculpture, The Burghers of Calais. Rodin depicted a heroic act of sacrifice during the Hundred Years’ War, in which six of the city’s burghers volunteered to sacrifice their lives to save their city. One of the figures has turned aside in the sculpture.
Another artistic influence on the sculptor was Soviet sculpture, which is characterized by schematic, hard lines and by ideology that presents the workers as role models of strength and courage.
The memorial was inaugurated in 1953 in a festive, impressive ceremony attended by Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and his wife Rahel Yanait, sister of the sculptor.
After the Yom Kippur War, when the names of the fallen increased, the decision was made to erect an additional memorial wall next to the previous one. Batia Lishansky was asked to express the pain and loss caused by the wars. The wall, with its stone relief, was inaugurated in 1979.