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Yad Mordechai

Rabbi Aron White

At first glance, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai seems unremarkable, producing honey sold throughout Israel. But just outside
the kibbutz is a field filled with life-size models of Egyptian soldiers, which tell a remarkable story. During Israel’s War
of Independence, a few dozen fighters in Yad Mordechai defended the kibbutz from the Egyptian army, a powerful
example of the way small communities have played outsized roles in defending Israel from its enemies.

hen Yad Mordechai was
established in 1943, its Pol-
ish-born residents named
Wit after the recently mur-
dered Mordechai Anilewitz, the leader of
the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The found-
ers could not have realized that, like
their namesake, they were also destined
to write a significant chapter in Jewish
history.
As statehood drew closer in 1948, the kib-
butz became increasingly isolated. Local
Arab townspeople blocked the roads to
Tel Aviv, making it harder and harder to
get supplies. On Seder night of 1948, three
weeks before the declaration of indepen-
dence, a caravan got through to Yad Mor-
dechai, bearing matzot and seven guns. It
was the last caravan to get through the
Arab siege. Yad Mordechai was isolated. A life-size depiction of the Egyptian soldiers attacking Yad Mordechai.

As one of the southernmost Jewish settle-
ments, on the road from Gaza to Tel Aviv Ashdod. During these critical days, Israel small kibbutzim. Sometimes, the kibbutzim
(today’s Kvish 4), Yad Mordechai was one of received its first planes, and on May 29th, fell, but their heroic efforts delayed the
the Egyptian army’s primary targets when in the Israeli Air Force’s inaugural mission, invading forces and allowed the IDF to
they invaded on May 15th, 1948. The kibbutz four planes bombed the Egyptian army. regroup and ultimately win the war.
sent the women and children to safety in The Egyptians were shocked, and never A similar dynamic also occurred during
the north, while the men stayed back to advanced further north than Ashdod. Hamas’ attack on October 7. Hamas
defend their homes. 150 men, with only The kibbutz was reconquered by the IDF
75 weapons, remained in Yad Mordechai. in November 1948. The five days during intended to advance even further into
which the men of Yad Mordechai fought Israel, but they were held up by security
For five days, from May 19th to May 23rd, the Egyptian army were critical in ensur- teams and brave individuals. Many of
the defenders of Yad Mordechai fought to ing the Egyptians never came close to Tel these courageous defenders fell, but their
protect the kibbutz. They were bombed by Aviv. heroic efforts gave the IDF time to regroup,
the Egyptian air force and were greatly
outnumbered by the Egyptian infantry, Though the story of Yad Mordechai is leg- and ultimately expel the terrorists from
but bravely fought for days. In the fight- endary, similar stories took place through- Israel. The spirit of Yad Mordechai, and
ing, 26 Israelis were killed and 40 were out the War of Independence. From Negba of small kibbutzim fighting off murderous
injured. Eventually, the kibbutz fell, but and Nirim in the south to Kfar Etzion and invaders, lives on today. ◼
they had saved precious time. The Egyp- Ramat Rachel near Yerushalayim, many of
tians needed a few days to regroup, before the most significant battles of Israel’s War
continuing up the coastal road towards of Independence were fought by and in

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