Harald Fischer

68 years old. Harald leaves behind his wife, Norma, and three children: Daniel (17), Raphaela (15), and Assania (10).

A native of Germany, he came to Palestine in 1981 to work for a German charitable organization. He settled in Beit Jala, where he worked as a chiropractor until his death. His Palestinian wife works as a counselor with the Ministry of Social Affairs. All his friends and neighbors knew Harald as a sociable and affable person, with a good sense of humor. He never hesitated to lend a helping hand.

On the night of November 15th, Beit Jala was heavily shelled. Several townspeople, who suffered injuries, could not be reached or evacuated by ambulances. At one point, Harald and his family heard screams of "Fire! Fire!" coming from a neighbor's house. Fischer grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed to their aid. As soon as he went into the street, a missile hit him, killing him instantly. His body was left in the street until 3.00 AM, as no one was able to reach him because of the continued shelling.

Norma says the family missed him most over Christmas. He had a particular fondness for making pastries, and would start preparing them a month ahead of the holidays.

Drawing of traditional
German houses