Ben-Shoham, Yom Tov

Yomtov Son of-Shoham, son of Tzippora and David, was born in 1887 in Izmir, Turkey. In 1920 Yomtov immigrated to Eretz Israel with his wife and two daughters, as well as with his brother Moshe’s family. The two brothers, who were excellent shoemakers, settled in the Neve Shalom neighborhood near the port ofYaffo and worked in their profession. Yomtov was a brass player and was a member of the orchestra. He was also a member of the Hagana and one of its activists. On the 23rd of Nisan 5721 (May 1, 1921), when the bloody riots in Yaffo broke out, rioters broke into the family home and beat Yomtov and his brother Moshe to death. The two brothers bravely defended themselves and allowed the rest of the family – women and children – to escape. The two brothers were brought to eternal rest in a mass grave in the old cemetery in Tel Aviv. Yomtov left behind a wife and two daughters and a sister.