Rafael Mokady

Rafael Mokady was born in 1929 in Paris

Rafael Mokady was born in Paris in 1929, while his parents Vered and Moshe Mokady were living there. After his parents separated, he and his mother moved to the Land of Israel. He grew up in Tel Aviv, studied at the Shalva Gymnasium, and was active as an instructor in the Gadna. He was married and had 3 children.

He enlisted in 1947, before the IDF was founded, and finished his regular service in 1950. He then served as a reserve officer in the 8th Brigade. In 1960 he became commander of the brigade reconnaissance company and later reached the rank of major.

He studied at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University, where he promoted a quantitative, mathematical approach to soil research. His doctorate, supervised by Shlomo Ravikovitch, dealt with chlorosis in plants. After postdoctoral work at Purdue University, he became a senior lecturer at the Technion in 1964 and set up a soil research unit there.

On 9 June 1967, during the Six-Day War, his brigade broke into the Golan Heights. When battalion commander Arie Biro was hit, Mokady took his place and commanded the battalion, until he was hit and fell from the tank. His body was found later, and he received the Medal of Distinguished Service. In 2010 his daughter and granddaughter made a documentary film about him.