Flesh, Yosef (Yossi)

Ben Miriam and Isaac. He was born on the 23rd of Sivan 5707 (23.5.1956) in the religious cooperative Nir Etzion, where he grew up in his early childhood. He began his studies in the religious state school and later moved to Moshav Nachalim, near Petah Tikva. Yossi was a member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement and attended the “Nehalim” high school in Bnei Akiva. At the end of his high school studies, he enrolled in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. He was drafted into the IDF in October 1974. After completing his basic training he served as a tank driver and as a liaison officer, completing his studies at the Technion and finishing with honors. He was a modest and quiet young man, whose actions were successful in 1983. In 1983 he married Nava and was sent by the IDF to complete his master’s degree. He enrolled at Tel Aviv University, graduated with honors and continued his service in the regular army with the rank of Major in the position of Head of the Department. He was offered by the university to pursue his doctorate, but in August 1990 he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He was operated on, but after a certain period of time his condition deteriorated. Joseph fell during his service on the 14th of Iyar 5751 (28.4.1991) and was brought to rest in the military section of the cemetery in Moshav Nachalim. He left behind him a wife, Ben – Netanel, two daughters – Hagit Ward, parents, two brothers and a sister – Yoav, Avner and Shlomit. His younger brother, Meir Eliahu, died during his service two years earlier. In his estate, the scientific thesis he wrote during his graduate studies remained on the subject of “heat transfer in porous rock with changes in the state of accumulation”. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved parents, the unit commander wrote about Yossi’s dedicated work and his great success in the studies, at the end of which the unit commander asked to be assigned to his unit in a central role in a complex project. In his work, he expressed his strong desire to advance the subjects of his responsibility. The head of the Personnel Directorate gave a certificate of appreciation in his memory, in which he noted the contribution of Joseph’s life to the strengthening of the IDF and the State. His wife commemorated his memory in a bookcase dedicated to the synagogue in their neighborhood in Petah Tikva. His parents commemorated his memory and his brother Meir-Eliyahu remembered the establishment of a public library in their name in Moshav Nachalim. The family published a book commemorating his memory.