Kalman Ulansky

Kalman Ulansky 1925 – 1972

Kalman Ulansky was born in the city of Trev in Lithuania in 1925. He immigrated to Israel with his family in 1933 and lived with his family in Neve Haim near Hadera. His religious family disliked his activities especially on Saturday nights.

Kalman decided to leave the house, moved to Tel Aviv. There he worked casual jobs and enlisted in the Palmach in 1942 into Company A. He trained within the company and moved with his friends to the Palmach holding in Beit Keshet and participated in operations. At the outbreak of the War of Independence he was participated in the attack in which Ali Ben Zvi and his comrades were killed. When there was a lull in the fighting, he took off his shoes and went barefoot to the battle hill to see if anyone was still be alive. Kalman, Becker and Mivniel went up the hill to rescue the bodies. His wife, Malka, says: “… I was pregnant with Dorit then, I saw them go up the hill and I thought who knows if they would come back …”.

Kalman fought in the battles of the Jordan Valley and took part in the conquest of Tiberias as well as activities that took place in Beit Keshet and the surrounding area as a member of the kibbutz. Kalman established his home in the Kinneret Moshav. He worked with heavy machinery in the valley and paved security roads around the settlements. As a mechanical engineer he work for the IDF. He helped surface access roads to settlements in the Golan Heights. Walking in front of the tractor so the operator would not be afraid to plough while the Syrians fired. Kalman was married to Malka and had two children – Dorit and Ehud.