JERUSALEM (VINnews)-Col. Simcha Applebaum, a Holocaust survivor who fought as a reservist in Israel’s wars and helped found Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, died Tuesday at the age of 99.

Applebaum served as deputy commander of the 188th “Barak” Armored Brigade during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. His life story, from the horrors of Nazi persecution to rebuilding the Jewish state, embodied the resilience of the Jewish people in the 20th century.

Born in 1927 in the village of Malch in the Pruzhany district — today in Belarus — Applebaum grew up in a traditional Jewish family. His father, Yaakov, was a prominent Zionist activist who organized agricultural training for young Jews preparing to immigrate to the Land of Israel.

During the Holocaust, Applebaum and his family were deported to the Pruzhany ghetto and later to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most of his relatives were murdered. He survived forced labor, multiple death marches, escapes, and imprisonment in Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen concentration camps. Liberated by U.S. forces in May 1945, he vowed during one of the marches to reach Eretz Israel, establish a settlement in memory of his family, and help build a Jewish state.

After the war, Applebaum joined the Kibbutz Buchenwald group in Germany and immigrated to pre-state Israel in March 1946 aboard the ship Tel-Hai. He fought in the 1948 War of Independence. On June 20, 1948, during a ceasefire, he and 16 fellow survivors established a settlement near Be’er Yaakov that became Kibbutz Netzer Sereni. He held senior positions there and in Israel’s Manufacturers Association.

Applebaum participated in all of Israel’s major wars through the Yom Kippur War, rising to the rank of colonel in the reserves. He helped plan and establish the Latrun Armored Corps Memorial and was known for his heroism in rallying troops during the 1973 conflict.

In later years, Applebaum dedicated himself to Holocaust education. He served as a witness on youth trips to Poland and shared his testimony in Israeli schools and with IDF soldiers. In 2011, he was chosen as one of six torch-lighters at Yad Vashem’s Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony.

Applebaum is survived by his wife Naomi, children, and grandchildren, many of whom have served in IDF combat units. His passing marks the loss of a living link to pivotal chapters in Jewish history.