How 150 Kibbutz Farmers Stopped an Entire Army

In May 1948, 150 defenders at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai faced an Egyptian force nearly 14 times their size. They lost their homes, their fields, and friends, but their six-day stand helped save the newly born State of Israel. Seventy five years later, another invasion came from Gaza. This is the story of a community built to honor Jewish resistance and forced to fight for its survival across generations. Since 1901, Jewish National Fund-USA has strengthened the land and people of Israel through bold initiatives that secure the country’s North and South. By preserving heritage sites like The Yad Mordechai "From Holocaust to Revival" Museum, Jewish National Fund-USA invests in Israel’s future, driving tourism, generating jobs, and helping communities thrive. Find more information about visiting The Yad Mordechai "From Holocaust to Revival" Museum and other parts of Israel below. You belong in Israel. Find your Jewish National Fund-USA tour or mission: https://www.jnf.org/travel/?utm_source=partner_opendor&ut… Educators can explore Israel on Jewish National Fund-USA's special mission: https://www.jnf.org/travel/tour/index/educators-mission-t… Jewish National Fund-USA's Alexander Muss High School in Israel offers semester, summer, and mini-mester academic experiences for North American teens. Find out more: https://www.amhsi.org/?utm_source=partner_opendor&utm_med… Learn more about the Jewish National Fund-USA's work preserving heritage sites in Israel: https://www.jnf.org/our-work/heritage-site-preservation?u… 0:00 Intro 0:39 Egypt’s Road to Tel Aviv 1:18 Mordechai Anielewicz and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 2:38 Building a Kibbutz as War Approaches 5:20 The Battle of Yad Mordechai 6:45 The Defeat That Helped Save Israel 7:45 October 7: History Repeats 9:24 The Idea That Survived Sources Larkin, Margaret. The Six Days of Yad Mordechai. Yad Mordechai: Yad Mordechai Museum, 1975. “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.” Holocaust Encyclopedia, 17 April 2023. “Yad Mordechai.” Iron Swords War, accessed 15 August 2026. Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video – 1948: Israel's Battle for Independence https://youtu.be/nq-emTGIgaI?si=TJJg9pclrje0PY1l We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source… Let’s connect: Website — https://www.Unpacked.media Instagram — /unpackedmedia Twitter — /unpackedmedia TikTok — /unpackedmedia Facebook — /unpackedmedia ----- Image and footage credits: Alphabetical List Al Jazeera ARTE ארכיון גן שמואל Avnet/Kerner Productions Batjac Productions Belfilms Bettmann בית הפלמ"ח British Movietone British Pathé Brooklyn Films Casual Historian CBC News: The National Channel 12 Channel 13 Criminals and Crime Fighters Discovering Israel DW Documentary FRANCE 24 English Frank Markow Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Getty Images GPO Guardian News Hitherto Existing I Love Docs IDF Spokesperson's Office איחוד הצלה ישראל Israel Archive Network Project Israel Film Service (שירות הסרטים הישראלי) Kan 11 Keystone Keystone-France Kibbutz Yad Mordechai Legion Teaches History Llenroc Productions MDR The Mirisch Corporation National Archives (NARA) NBC New York Post NLI Periscope Film LLC Archives PikiWiki Raffaella Productions Spielberg Library – Israel Archive SWR Travel Film Archive United Artists wocomoHISTORY Yad Vashem YES Docu ------ Executive Producers: Michael Steinhardt Co-Executive Producers: Marc Shmuel Levine Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum Gold Level: The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. #israel #history #kibbutz