Klein, Jacob
Jacob, son of Magdalene and Hugo, was born on April 12, 1942, in Timisoara, Romania, where he attended elementary school and high school and immigrated to Israel in 1961 and studied for two years at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was raised in the home of his father by his Jewish parents, and despite the decrees of the Communist regime, he was raised in his parents’ home for love of Israel and love of the Land of Israel. After immigrating to Israel, he studied Hebrew and to support the family, he worked in construction, for a time he lived in Kibbutz Be’eri, Where he met his future wife, Elin, and was an outstanding athlete in the sailing industry (in 1960 he was the champion of Romania in sailing boats) and was a sailing instructor at Hapoel Tel Aviv and participated in many sailing and swimming competitions. Jacob was drafted into the IDF in mid-August 1963 after his marriage. He served in the Medical Corps and graduated with honors from a combat paramedics course and a senior medic course. During the Six-Day War he participated in battles in the West Bank and was awarded the “Operational Service Award”. Jacob was an excellent soldier and devoted to his job, and according to his commander, he was not afraid. In his unit he was loved by his friends and commanders, as a responsible soldier who always volunteered for the most difficult and dangerous missions. After his discharge from the regular army he studied computer programming and worked in this field. He excelled in his work and was responsible for the computer room at Alred and a bank of apothecaries. Yaakov served for many periods in the reserves, as a combat medic in armored units. Being an only child he was entitled to apply for a rear-line unit, but he preferred to continue serving in his unit, where he reached the rank of First Sergeant. He was a loyal son of his mother and a devoted husband to his wife and an exemplary father to his three children. Whenever he was away from home, he made sure to call and write, to tell and to hear about the family. In the Yom Kippur War, Yaakov served as a combat medic in an armored unit that fought in the Golan Heights and participated in the conquest of Beit Jann. On the 24th of Adar 5735 (18.3.1974) he was injured and killed while volunteering to rescue a wounded man. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left behind a wife, three daughters and a mother. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote that Yaakov “was a hero in his life and death” and did not know fear or fear. In a commendation given to him by Northern Command Major General Rafael Eitan, it was said that despite his not being asked to do so, Yaakov came under heavy artillery fire to help a wounded soldier who was wounded at the outpost. He ran into the outpost, rescued the victim and on his way to the armored personnel carrier, the evacuation was damaged by the shelling and killed. “In this act, St.-Sgt. Ya’akov Klein revealed dedication and courage”
