Son of Kurt and Esther. He was born on July 21, 1957 in Kibbutz Gal-Ad. He studied at the local elementary school. He did his high school studies together with his fellow kibbutz members at the Western Emek School on Kibbutz Yifat. As the first child after three daughters, Joshua was the spoiled and beloved child of the family, and when Hadas, the fourth daughter, was born, his status as an only child was not undermined. His family, the survivor of the Holocaust, attached great importance to the matter of the continuity of the dynasty; Thus, the little Yoshi enjoyed special treatment. But he had acquired most of his uniqueness in the family thanks to his personality. From the time of his childhood his character traits have been revealed: love of life, openness to people and interest in everything; A talent for painting, a vivid imagination and a strong tendency to music. “Joshua had a strange quality,” says his sister Gila. “Anything that fell into his hands would immediately become a drum to drum on.” When he grew up, he learned drumming and even participated in a regional pop band. Painting also served as a tool for expression. His notebooks were full of small drawings that were unnoticed in his pencil, and in his heavy bag his paintings had accumulated in his own hands – on matters of war and peace, comradeship, etc. He won several prizes for his paintings. Marianne, his first teacher, tells of him: “Joshua was always quiet, always smiling, always a bit of a loner, the drawing sheet in front of him was always full of characters, stories, dreams, lots of horses. Life was easy, he was very sociable, although he was not pushed to the head of the line, and won the great sympathy of his friends. ” Liushi, or Shuki, as they called him at the age of adolescence, had many friends, of all ages. His school teachers loved him very much. His interests were many, and the hours were not enough for everyone. In addition to painting and drumming, he treated domestic animals and even raised a few dogs in his home. He was also a dedicated worker in the field. Shuki was also an enthusiastic athlete, but his main interest was social life. Menachem says: “The charm of his personality always emanated from him, and this test captivated the hearts of his friends and enchanted the older people, and Tom’s grace always accompanied him during the smile and the pleasantness, and also when dealing with difficult problems.” One of his dear friends was Yankel, who guided him through work in the field. “When Yehoshua entered our house, Yankel would forget his tiredness,” says his wife, “and this handsome and Simcha young man would bring joy and life to our home. And despite the great age gap, Yehoshua showed a pure and innocent maturity in these conversations. ” At the end of October 1975, Yehoshua was drafted into the IDF and volunteered to serve in the Nahal Brigade. In the course of his service, he completed a mortar course and a course for commanders, and completed his officer training course as an outstanding trainee, but his commanders did not rush to send him to an officers’ course because they wanted him to instruct the commanders in the school. Which dealt with the causes of the training accidents, which the IDF has been using to this day. After a period of service as a platoon commander, he underwent a course for infantry officers and was appointed commander of a combat unit, and he volunteered for permanent service. His professional level was very high, and he always aspired to perfection in everything he did – both as an officer and as a person. “Shuki was an officer who took great care of his soldiers and their needs. However, when a soldier had to be punished, he would do it to the end. As a member of the other commanders, he was known in the battalion as “Shuki Hika” – because of his great desire for order and cleanliness. Professionally, Shuki was really excellent, and socially -Was very fond of everyone because of his willingness to help everyone, thanks to his leadership spirit and endurance. “On Friday, March 15, 1978, the unit left for action in southern Lebanon. In the battle to purge the property of terrorists in the area, Yehoshua fell. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery at Kibbutz Gal-Ad. Survived by his parents and four sisters. After his death, he was promoted to captain. In a letter of condolence to the family, then-Minister of Defense Ezer Weizman wrote: “Please allow me to participate wholeheartedly, on behalf of the Government of Israel, the Prime Minister and my name in mourning, taking from you Joshua. Lieutenant Yehoshua Erlich gave his life for his homeland. He fell in battle for the capture of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon. His commanders defined Lieutenant Yehoshua as a soldier with human values, who aspires to perfection. He was loved by his comrades-in-arms, his commanders, his subordinates, and everyone he knew. “His commander wrote:” As an officer, he was always characterized by his striving for perfection – this was true during the difficult hours of training. As a commander, he always knew how to lead his soldiers in the right and right way, and gave the security of peace and knowledge of the road to everyone. In his death, as in his life, Shuki is a model and an example of leadership and leadership style. “The family published a booklet in his memory, containing the words of friends and relatives about Shuki, as well as excerpts from his letters and some of his paintings.
