David Rosenfeld was born on November 14, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA to Mordechai and Gladys. David left the U.S. in 1979 to settle in Israel, eventually making his home in Tekoa. He established respectful ties with the local Arabs when he was hired as the director of the Herodion tourist site.
On Friday July 2, 1982 when his Arab assistant was off for his day of rest, two PLO members attacked and killed him, stabbing him over a hundred times. He was 26 when he was killed and left a wife, two children and his parents. He was buried in the Mt. of Olives Cemetery in Jerusalem.
To memorialize him and emphasize the Jewish presence in Judea, a government-approved village named El David was established near the demolished home of one of the terrorists at the foot of Herodion.