Shaul Yafeh

Shaul Yafeh was born in 1921 in Yavne'el

Shaul Yafeh was born in 1921 in the moshava of Yavne'el, the third son of Haim and Miriam Yafeh, who came from Russia and Poland. In 1928 the family moved to Herzliya, later to Ramat Gan and finally to Tel Aviv. He studied at the Herzliya Gymnasium and at the Mikveh Israel agricultural school.

He joined the Palmach in 1941 and commanded a platoon in 1943. He later served as deputy commander of a Palmach battalion. In late March 1948 he was named commander of a Palmach battalion and was wounded when the Hulda convoy was attacked.

He then served as Yitzhak Sadeh's deputy in Brigade 8. In October 1948 he took command of Battalion 82, the first armored battalion of the IDF, and led it in Operation Horev. From February to July 1950 he was Chief Armored Officer, and then left the IDF.

In 1947 he was among the founders of Kibbutz Yakum, where he worked as a mechanic and served several times as kibbutz secretary. From 1965 to 1975 he managed the kibbutz plastics factory, Plastic Yakum. From 1976 until his death in 1977 he coordinated the security department of the Kibbutz Artzi.