Birenbaum, Yaakov (Janco)

Yaakov (Yanko), son of Rachel and Chaim, a Holocaust survivor, was born on 12.9.1952 in Brasov, Romania, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1961. Yaakov was drafted into the IDF at the beginning of November 1970 and sent to the Israel Air Force, but was later assigned to the Armored Corps, where he was trained in the Tankur Tank Course, where he was awarded a high grade (95) and a tank commander course. His commanders gave him the “operational service signal.” He tried not to worry his parents and the letters, which he made sure to write home, did not complain about the hard training and field life, and when the Yom Kippur War broke out he was sent with his unit to the front in the Golan Heights. (October 6, 1973), in Jukhder near Hosheniya, his tank was hit by an enemy missile, and Yaakov was killed on the spot. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Survived by father, mother and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to sergeant.