Yom Kippur War hero Gen. Avigdor Ben Gal late

Major General (Ret) Avigdor (Yanush) Ben-Gal, died on Shabbat at the age of 80.

Avigdor Ben-Gal was the commander of the 7th Brigade that fought in the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War, and served as GOC Northern Command and the corps commander during Operation Peace for Galilee. He is survived by his wife and seven children.

Ben-Gal was born in Lodz, Poland, and immigrated to Israel with the "Tehran Children". He grew up in Tel Aviv and enlisted in the IDF Armored Corps. After his discharge, he held a variety of command positions, including a tank commander and operations officer, until he reached the command on the 7th brigade.

After the Yom Kippur War, in which his brigade reinforced military presence along the Syrian border and repelled the Syrian invasion, Ben-Gal was appointed commander of Volcanic Division and was promoted to brigadier general. In 1976 he was appointed assistant chief of operations at the IDF headquarters and in this context he was involved in the planning of Operation Entebbe. In 1977 he was appointed Commander of the Northern Command, a position he held for four years.

What is not known about his connection to the Haredi public was precisely in the Hevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem, in those days when he used to come every Simchat Torah for the Hakafot dancing in the yeshiva and participate in them for hours.

The students from the same period, tell Behadrey Haredim that the person connected with him and who used to warmly greet him every year was Rabbi Shmuel Segal – son-in-law of the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Simcha Zissel Braude zt"l.

Chabad Online website reported tonight that Ben-Gal, a resident of Caesarea, used to visit Or Akiva every Friday and often met the boys engaged in the operation of laying tefillin.

Many times he met them, he would speak to them divrei Torah. On Purim and Chanukah he used to make a lechayim and be happy with them.

A few times he described to the boys his unforgettable visit at the farbrengen with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory, a visit which left a huge impression on him. "He once told the Rebbe of Belz was at a meadow in Caesarea and sent for him and asked him to tell about the history of those days," said one who spoke in the past with Ben-Gal, "In general," he added, "he had a great knowledge of the Tanach".

May his soul be bound in the bond of life.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!