Eilam (Buchman), Yaakov (“Hovi”)
He is the youngest of his parents, David and Rachel. He was born on May 5, 1937 in Jerusalem, where he spent his first years in Tel Aviv, but at the age of fifteen he moved to Jerusalem and studied at the Beit Hakerem High School, He studied at the educational institution in Mishmar HaEmek, where he had spent a year at the age of thirteen, and in August 1956 he was drafted into the IDF and stayed in the reconnaissance unit of the Golani Brigade. As a rookie he took part in the Sinai battle in Rafah and in 1957 he completed an officer’s course and as an officer returned to the commando unit. He participated in the military delegation in a march in Holland in 1958 where he met his future wife, also a soldier in one of the Golani battalions. When he was discharged from the IDF, he attained the rank of lieutenant in 1959. Upon his release from the army that year, he returned to the kibbutz, but two years later he left him and began his academic career with many achievements and shades. He enrolled at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, studied biology and philosophy, and received the B.A. degree. Afterward, he was admitted to the medical school and studied until the end of his fourth year, when he fell. Jacob excelled in his studies and while he was busy with studies, his activities were very numerous. He belonged to Hapoel in Jerusalem and dealt with basketball, soccer and swimming – and was the champion of the country in wrestling, where he guided the youth of the Musrara neighborhood; He was a member of ASA (the Academic Sports Association in Jerusalem) and in this framework he won many medals and places of honor. He loved music and throughout the year worked on solving musical quizzes; He played the oboe in the orchestra of the university (previously a member of the Gadna and the Kibbutzim), and he also toured all parts of the country – especially in the Judean Desert – and also on the piano, literature, history and archeology. Trips in the “tramps”. He liked the army and life, and at the same time he was very gentle. From time to time he was called up for reserve duty and when he was transferred to this framework he asked to join the paratroopers’ paratroopers. He was hit twice by parachutes (with his leg and back). He asked that he not be transferred to another unit. In the days of alert before the Six-Day War he believed with all his Lev that the war was inevitable and all his life he had raised his eyes to unify the two parts of Jerusalem by peaceful means. On the second day of the battles of the war, on the 27th of Iyar 5727 (June 6, 1967), a battle was held near the Lions’ Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, where Jacob participated and showed courage, dedication and extraordinary resourcefulness, With the lethal enemy fire to rescue the wounded from among his fellow fighters, but when he went out to save the last wounded man was hurt and fell. He left a wife and a son. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The commander-in-chief praised him for his courage and comrades-in-fighting in giving his life in order to rescue the wounded. On June 6, 1967, near the Jerusalem wall, many members of the force were hit by enemy fire. Lieutenant Eilam left the scene and out of the fire rescued the wounded and encouraged them. He did not refrain from recycling to the dangerous area and tried to save more wounded – but during this rescue operation he fell. His book “Letters to You” was published by “Aked”. In the book “Marinas Gabro” of the Paratroopers Headquarters was devoted a page to his history and description of his last battle. His courage and heroism are told in “The Book of Heroism” published by the Association of Journalists in Tel Aviv and survivors of Bergen-Belsen. Also in Nizkor, published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Student Union, edited by Yehuda Ha-Ezrahi, several pages were dedicated to him. His portrait was published in a stethoscope, in the journal of the Medical Students’ Association. His memory was also mentioned in Sinai’s “Sinai up Golan” in “The War on Jerusalem”To Moshe Nathan,” Jerusalem Forever “to Eli Landau and Dayan’s book” From Hermon to Suez. “