Friedman, Yonathan (Yoni)

Yonatan (Yoni), son of Efraim and Dvora, was the fourth generation of Petah Tikva’s founders on his mother’s side, and was born on October 10, 1951 in Petach Tikvah, “Salomon” and then continued his studies at the Amal vocational school in Petach Tikvah, in electronics, and was about to take the matriculation exams in the framework of the “Real Gymnasium” in Ramat Gan. Yoni was a naughty boy. As a member of the Maccabi sports association Petach-Tikva, he worked a lot in various sports fields and was very fit. He was naturally kind and willing to help anyone, especially his family and friends. Even though he was Yaffa-looking, likable to girls and loved by many, he was modest in his ways. In the summer before the war he often listened to records, and especially to Leonard’s songs, which he used to write songs for the time being, Cohen was drafted into the IDF in early January 1970 and assigned to the Armored Corps. After basic training and after completing his tank training course, he was placed as a tank driver in an armored battalion in the area of ​​the Suez Canal. After serving as a pilot in the Sinai, he was very proud that he served in a combat unit and worked for the state, and since he was a good swimmer he volunteered to serve in the naval commando unit, but he was not accepted there. Operations at headquarters, but he fought to regain his health and managed to return to combat unit. After completing his regular service, he was assigned to reserve duty as a tank commander in the Armored Corps. After his discharge, he worked in his father’s hardware store and prepared for external matriculation exams (on the day he was supposed to take a test in Hebrew literature). He was interested in literature and was preparing to study literature at the university. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Yoni took up his unit and was sent to Sinai, where he took part in the fighting against the Egyptians. On the 9th of Tishrei 5734 (October 9, 1973), when he commanded a tank in the battle for Hamutal in the central sector, Yoni was killed and killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the Petach Tikva cemetery. Survived by his parents and brother. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the unit commander wrote: “Your son showed courage and sacrifice during the battles.” The football department of the Maccabi Petah Tikva association named after it the soccer school of the association, and a group of children born in 1964 in the association was named after him. The booklet “Makhz – The Story of a Battalion” published a list of his character.