Alexander Dohan

Nov 15, 2002 - Alexander Dohan, 33, of Kiryat Arba, was one of 12 people killed -- nine soldiers and three civilians from the Kiryat Arba emergency response team -- and 15 wounded in Hebron when Palestinian terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at a group of Jewish worshipers and their guards as they were walking home from Sabbath Eve prayers at the Cave of the Patriarchs.

The security personnel returned fire and pursued the attackers in a battle lasting some 90 minutes. Three terrorists were killed in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic Jihad.

Dohan left his home with his colleagues in the emergency response team as soon as they heard shooting. After they reached the scene of the attack, Dohan managed to evacuate some of the wounded before he was shot and killed.

"He was always ready for any action," recalled a neighbor whose husband was a fellow response team member. "He volunteered and even when he wasn't on duty he carried his weapon so as to be ready for any eventuality. That was just his mentality -- Alex was a man who loved to help; a man with a special integrity, who didn't like to hurt anyone and was as straight as an arrow."

Dohan immigrated from France 16 years ago and moved to Kiryat Arba 10 years ago with his wife, Rivka. The two had four children. He worked as a computer programmer until the recession forced him to work full time in security.

Alexander Dohan is survived by his wife, Rivka, and sons Yehuda, eight, Eliahu, six, and Yohai, five, and daughter, Tehila, three. He was buried with two other members of his team in a military ceremony at Har Hamenuhot Cemetery in Jerusalem.