MOSHE BRODETZKY - JEWISH HERO

Moshe Brodetzky: A True Son of the Jewish People

I am not much of a writer, however, I feel that there has been an important story that has been neglected, the story of a modest Jewish hero...

I met him in September, 1941 at the City College of New York when he was changing his clothes next to me in a gym class. I struck up a conversation when I noticed his Tzitzit. He asked me if I was interested in Zionism, and since I am a seventh generation Sabra I said, "Of course."

Moshe Brodetzky in Jerusalem, 1948
(You can obtain more information about his heroic efforts from Moshe Arens)

He invited me to attend a meeting of a Betar group of students, which eventually included Moshe Arens who later became Defense Minister of Israel three times. He indicated that he was in the R.O.T.C. (Reserve Officers Training Corps of the U.S. Army). Since the U.S. was not at war, I asked him why he had joined the R.O.T.C. He said that in the near future the Jewish people would need trained soldiers to fight for an independent Jewish state.

The U.S. did get into the war, of course, and Moshe soon found himself in Europe, fighting the Nazis. By the time World War II was over, he was a hero and a highly-decorated officer.

Moshe went to Palestine to study at the Hebrew University. At that time the fight against the British Mandatory regime was in full swing, so he joined the Etzel (the Irgun Zvai Leumi underground).

When the State of Israel was declared in 1948, he remained in the Etzel battalion in Jerusalem and joined the fight against the attacking Arabs. He fought at Ramat Rachel, and was one of the heros of that battle. He was also in command of the Irgun force on Mount Zion.

In the 1950's, Brodetzky lived in Washington, D.C., and was in the forefront of the fight for the right of Soviet Jewry to leave for Israel.

Moshe now lives in East Talpiot, Jerusalem.

This modest Jew deserves to be lauded for his valiant fight for the realization of our people's dreams.

Dave Haimson

Moshe Brodetzky 2LT,U.S.ARMY– Citation

E****X****T****R****A****C****T

HEADQARTERS 71ST INFANTRY DIVISION 22 MAY 1945

APO 360, U. S. ARMY

GENERAL ORDERS NUMBER 23

AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR

“MOSES BRODETZKY, 0557667, 2ND LIEUTENANT, INFANTRY, COMPANY ‘E’, 5TH INFANTRY, FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION AGAINST THE ENEMY ON 24 MARCH 1945 IN THE VICINITY OF WESTHEIM, GERMANY. DURING THE ATTACK ON WESTHEIM, THE ADVANCE OF THE 2ND BATTALION, 5TH INFANTRY, HAD BEEN HELD UP FOR NINETY MINUTES BY WELL ENTRENCHED ENEMY RIFLEMEN,AND MACHINE GUNNERS, WHO INFLICTED SEVERE CASUALTIES ON COMPANIES E AND G, OF THE BATTALION.

WITH UTTER DISREGARD FOR PERSONAL SAFETY, LIEUTENANT BRODETZKY LED HIS PLATOON FORWARD TO A STREAM WHERE INTENSE FIRE PREVENTED THE PLATOON FROM CROSSING. LIEUTENANT BRODETZKY THEN SELECTED FOUR MEN FROM THE PLATOON AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL CROSSING TO CONTINUE ADVANCING UNTIL CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE ENEMY’S LEFT FLANK. AT THIS POINT HE DEMANDED THE ENEMY TO SURRENDER. SEVERAL OF THE ENEMY TROOPS OBEYED HIS ORDER, BUT THE OTHERS OPENED FIRE ON LIEUTENANT BRODETZKY.WITH DETERMINATION AND BOLDNESS, LIEUTENANT BRODETZKY CONTINUED TO ADVANCE DESTROYING THE MACHINE GUNS, CAPTURING NINETEEN ENEMY SOLDIERS,AND KILLING FOUR, INCLUDING ONE GERMAN OFFICER.

LIUTENANT BRODETZKY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY WOUNDED IN THE FOOT AND LEG, BUT RETURNED UNAIDED TO HIS UNIT WITH INFORMATION THAT MATERIALLY AIDED IN THE ADVANCE OF THE BATTALION AND ROUTING OF THE ENEMY.

LIEUTENANT BRODETZKY’S COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP, DEVOTION TO DUTY.AND GALLANTRY IN ACTION EXEMPLIFIES THE TRADITION OF THE ARMED FORCES

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK”

Moshe Brodetzky in Ramat Rachel

(In The History of the Irgun, David Niv Incorporated, a partial description of the battle of Ramat Rachel.)

One of the commanders, 'Daniel' (Moshe Brodetzky), an American Betari ex-serviceman who, as a student at the university had joined Etzel (Irgun) at the outset of the fighting, was one of the first to be wounded at Ramat Rachel.

He lay with his wounded comrades without aid or even water to sustain him. Looking around him and seeing what was happening, he took a sten and ran to the firing aperture.

He knew there was no hope of leaving Ramat Rachel alive unless everyone fought to the bitter end. He went back to the wounded, encouraged them, and sent them to the firing aperture. Everyone who could drag themselves to the front did so and fought.

The battle was now focusing on the enemy's armored column. Wounded men tried to repel the onslaught with stens in their hands. The attack was checked, and the tanks suddenly stopped advancing.

The above story submitted to B’nai Elim by Jeff Epstein. Thanks Jeff!... Blogmaster