Yitzhak Sadeh

Yitzhak Sadeh was born in 1890 in Lublin

Sadeh was born Izaak Landoberg in Lublin in 1890, then part of the Russian Empire. His mother, Rebecca, was the daughter of rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin. As a young man he studied with rabbi Hillel Zeitlin.

He served in the Russian army in World War I and was decorated for bravery. In 1917 he met Joseph Trumpeldor and helped him found the HeHalutz movement. He was also a wrestling champion of St. Petersburg.

In 1920 he moved to the Land of Israel and was among the founders of the Labor Battalion. He became a Haganah commander, formed the Nodedet unit in Jerusalem in 1936 and the Posh in 1937. In 1941 he founded the Palmach and led it until 1945, when he became the Haganah's acting chief of staff.

In the War of Independence he defended Mishmar HaEmek and led Operation Yevusi near Jerusalem. He founded and commanded the 8th Armored Brigade, which fought in Operation Danny. He later served on the southern front.

After leaving the army in 1949 he wrote essays, stories and plays, some under the pen name Y. Noded. He died in Tel Aviv in 1952 and is buried at Kibbutz Givat Brenner.