Benedict, Isaiah (Yishai)

Son of Yitzhak and Shoshana. He was born on the 15th of Adar 5709 (15.3.1949) in Givatayim. Towards the end of the War of Independence When he was about a year and a half old, he became paralyzed. At first he “dragged” a little leg but did not need medical treatment and overcame the disease. As a means of hastening the disappearance of the shock, she often took a bike ride. He attended elementary school in Ramat Hen. When he was in fifth grade, he wanted to play the violin. His parents tried to coax him into playing a simpler “instrument” – and did not succeed. He began playing the violin and did well, and thanks to his energy and strong desire, he successfully passed the examinations at the Conservatory. Finally he decided that if he did not keep practicing he’d better stop playing – and he did. In the first grades of elementary school he liked to play more than to study, but he managed to move from class to class thanks to his cleverness and intelligence. When he began to improve his studies, his father asked him what had led him to change and study vigorously. He replied: “Yishai, I said to myself, you have to take your hands and besides I knew that it hurts you if I bring a bad certificate.” After graduating from elementary school, he wanted to study electronics and was accepted to the “Yad Singelovsky” school, but due to light color blindness, he could not continue to the Dvir high school in Ramat Gan. He finished his first year with honors and received a scholarship from the school. After that, he went to the Gadna training course, which was a difficult course, but he was there because of his strong character. For most of the second year he lay sick in high fever and did not learn. The cause of the fever was not found in the hospital. But Yeshayahu maintained contact with his classmates, who invented the material for him. As a result of his absence from school, he did not receive a diploma, and only thanks to the director of Dvir was he given the opportunity to take the exams during the vacation and he stood up and went on to the third year of high school. That year, his health improved and during the last year he recovered completely, and together with his peers he passed the matriculation exams. He loved man and society and loved people. He could not see the suffering of people and, if the injustice had hurt him, he could hide it in good spirits and out of consideration for others. At home he always sought to calm his parents even when he was sick and suffering from pain. He participated in sports competitions between schools and received a certificate of excellence for his school. Yeshayahu was conscripted into the IDF in August 1967. On the 7th of Tishrei 5710 (October 7, 1969), he fell in the line of duty and was brought to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul.