Koch
Submitted by his two nieces Ofra Lilien, Tel Aviv and Galina Mironov, Modi’in
David Koch (Dubczo) was born on April 12th, 1923 in Boryslaw. He was the youngest of the six children of Gittel and Feivel.
In the Boryslaw ghetto he worked in a workshop that produced oil drilling equipment. Later he did the same work in a forced labour camp. In 1944, he escaped into the forest with a group of friends where they dug bunkers for the persecuted Jews.
The area was liberated by the Russians in 1945. His eldest brother Solomon (20 years his senior) was in Russia. The rest of his family was murdered in the holocaust.
After the end of the war and until 1949 he lived in Wałbrzych, Poland, where he worked for the “Bricha” (“escape”) Organization and was responsible for raising funds to bring Jewish illegal immigrants to Palestine. He immigrated to Israel in 1949 and participated in all Irael’s wars. He worked at Mekorot and drilled for water all over the country. He retired at the age of 50. David never married and had no children.
David was very close to his only family - his two nieces and their families: Lusia Lilien, Solomon’s eldest daughter who immigrated to Israel in 1948 and Galina Mironov, Solomon's youngest daughter who immigrated to Israel with her family from Russia some 27 years ago. His brother Solomon passed away in Russia in 1990 but the two never met again.
David was a very nice person and beloved by many. He used to spend time with his small family and his friends. He was a punctual man who was always careful about his looks, his clothes and manners. He was never late, was generous - always with a present in his hand. He was involved, loved playing cards, loved to have a drink and go out to eat with friends. He loved life and life loved him. He spoke little of the past and never complained. He was a unique person, as he used to say about himself and he was right. He never needed help and was independent until his last day.
David passed away on March 25th, 2016 in Tel Aviv.
The following article in Maariv by Nathan Zehavi talk about Dubczek's birthday party
