Appelblatt, Joseph (“Yossi”)

Son of Menachem and Sheva. He was born on September 22, 1934 in Tel Aviv. He studied at the Balfour Elementary School and spent two years at the Shalva High School and successfully completed the Municipal High School A with a matriculation certificate in his hand. He was a member of the Mahanot Ha’olim and later belonged to the Scouts movement. He was involved in sports and when he was a student in “Shalva” he won the title of Gymnastics Champion in Tel Aviv. He was playing in the teams of volleyball and basketball teams from the gymnasiums. In the framework of the Gadna and the municipal institutions, he served as a guide, serving as a shopping clerk and quartermaster at Ampa, and was a photography enthusiast who devoted most of his spare time to his life. (Without a basic training course because of his Gadna training). He underwent a course for a top commander, a topography course (a subject he liked most), a scouts course and an officer’s course, and reached the rank of lieutenant. Was among the conquerors of Gaza in the Sinai Campaign and when he breaks into the city as a tank commander. He took part in most of the marches (both on behalf of the Gadna and on behalf of the army), and on his discharge from the army dealt with problematic youth in an urban institution in Tel Aviv and was later a Gadna instructor for the Ministry of Education and Culture. Before the Six-Day War, called to reserve duty again and on the last Saturday before the war he returned home for a day and managed to play with his children cheerfully, laughing his characteristic Lev laugh. He played with them, almost went wild with them, and revealed to them a great love that was self-evident since Joseph himself had a Simcha and cheerful childhood. He was a reservist in the Six-Day War, who called her the “Final War” and when he went there he came to the aid of the wounded until his last moment, when he managed to reach Bir Gafgafa in Sinai in the half-track he commanded, And put an end to his life; This was on the 28th of Iyar 5727 (7.6.1967), the third day of the battles. He left a wife, a son and a daughter. He was buried in the military cemetery in Bari, and was later taken to eternal rest in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery. His biography was presented in the book “On your stage a void.”