Klein (Lustgarten), Yosef

Son of Berta and Hermann was born on September 20, 1922 in the city of Kosice, Czechoslovakia, and attended elementary school. He joined the He – Chaluts movement and worked as a carpenter. At the beginning of the Second World War he managed to escape from Nazi-occupied countries, joined the Polish Free Army established in Russia and was on his way to Eretz Israel. When he arrived in Israel, he deserted from the Polish army and joined Kibbutz Sha’ar Hanegev near Gedera. He worked in his profession and was well absorbed in his new life. At the end of 1944 he volunteered for the Jewish Brigade in the British Army. He participated in its travels and served there for two whole years. After his discharge from the army, he did not actually take off his uniform, enlisted in the police force, and at the outbreak of the War of Independence served in this position at Hanita. He took part in a convoy that left Nahariya on January 20, 1948. On the way, near Kabri, the convoy encountered an ambush of Arab gangs, and most of the convoy’s members fell among them, including Joseph, who was brought to the Nahariya Military Cemetery .