Keller, Jacob
Jacob (Kochi, Yankele), son of Yaffa and Isaac, was born on the 21st of Shvat, 5702 (8.2.1950) in Haifa. He studied at the elementary school in Atlit and continued at the Bialik Gymnasium in Haifa. Jacob was a good disciplined student. His teacher at the high school says that he “was very skilful and knew how to summarize his ideas, his opinions were firm and he always insisted. There was perseverance, diligence, punctuality, meticulousness, patience and foresight. He worked on his hobby – building models of airplanes, helicopters and gliders, and read a lot in the IAF journal to deepen his knowledge of aviation, since he had always been a pilot since childhood. In his youth he was a member of the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement and traveled extensively in Israel. He dedicated his leisure time to sports, swimming and playing soccer. Jacob was very sociable, easy to make friends, loved to hang out, dance and enjoy parties. He had a sense of humor, cheerful and Simcha and loved to laugh. Occasionally he amused his friends with pranks. He was kind, loving to help others, loving peace and asking for compromise and compromise. He loved his parents with great love and respect for them. Yaakov was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early February 1968 and volunteered to serve in the IAF, but he was forced to stop, then was assigned to the Armored Corps and was sent to a paramedic course, and his commanding officer described him as “a man and a soldier” After his discharge from the regular service, Yaakov was admitted to the University of Haifa and studied in the Department of Economics and Statistics, and during his days at the University of Haifa, he married his girlfriend Nava Lisha, and during the Yom Kippur War Jacob participated in the braking battles Against the Egyptians on the Sinai front In a battle held on the 19th of Tishrei 5734 (19.10.1973) on the axis of “Oracha” West of the Suez Canal, a shell hit Yaakov’s half-track and he was killed on the spot. He was brought to eternal rest in the Haifa cemetery. Survived by a wife, parents and sister. His daughter, Michal, was born after his death. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. The battalion doctor spoke about him: “Yaakov was able to do his work with great devotion and with great concern for the peace of the young men, and his dedication and warmth were evident in the battlefield, and he maintained peace of mind even during the difficult days of the war. I lost a beloved friend and a devoted medic. ” His unit published a pamphlet in memory of the fallen, and Yaakov among them.
