Son of Eliyahu and Hannah. Born in 1950 in the province of Cochin, India, he immigrated to Israel with his family in 1954. Yaakov attended the elementary school in Kfar Yuval, where the family settled, and later completed his studies at the religious boarding school “Ahuzat Naftali” in Tiberias. “Yaakov attended my ninth and tenth grades. He was an intelligent student, adapted to every situation, received every instruction and held great responsibility. His talents in studies and in social life were very prominent – from the point of view of social activity, responsibility and dedication, and his being one of the most successful and talented students in the boarding school. “His childhood friend says:” Yaakov was like everyone else. After completing his studies, he returned to the village and worked in the parents’ farm. He came to the conclusion that in order to receive his own farm in the village he had to serve in the IDF first, one of his most conspicuous traits was his stubbornness and courage, both during his childhood and during his army service. In the agriculture he stood out for his diligence and dedication. He loved manual labor and wanted to work and create. When he had to get up early in the morning, Yaakov was one of the first of the early comers. Yaakov was a member of a large family and he was very devoted to his parents and was a true and sincere friend to his brother, who helped them as much as possible, The infantry and basic training were completed in a parachuting course and were successfully completed. “I met Yaakov from the beginning of his career in the IDF. He was a 17-year-old boy. I was surprised how he managed to overcome all difficulties and crises easily despite his youth. Everyone knows how difficult the service is in the reconnaissance unit; Jacob did it easily: he was light-legged and never sweated or tired of traveling. He was really stubborn and strong. As a soldier, it was clear to all of us that he was number one. In basic training, during the officers’ course and during the other stages, Yaakov was always among those chosen for special missions. ” Yaakov was different from us, “relates his friend.” He was something special, he stood out, and not only in his external form. He was a sociable type, always involved in everyone’s business. Especially of his kind. It was always recognizable. He was like a guest from another country. “He had a special run of his own, and he stood out for his great energy, his resourcefulness and his desire to volunteer for all. In the Yom Kippur War, Yaakov was joined by a unit of the Armored Corps in the Sinai, and a friend from the time came: “A man who was a stranger to everyone came along and joined us in a different and strange way to our unit. And succeeded in conquering the hearts of people who were very tense. In a day and a half, he stood out as a special figure, both in the personal connection he had created with the people and with the extraordinary speed with which he was. “Despite his knee damage, he refused to leave the battlefield and continued to fight until the last day. He went on vacation and a week later returned with a special request: “I decided to be a tanker. I do not want to go back to my unit. I saw what happened to you and I want to stay here. “During his army service and during the annual reserve service, Yaakov took part in many dangerous military operations, volunteering for difficult and well-known missions As a model soldier, Yaakov married Simcha in 1973. During the Yom Kippur War, he took care of her because of her complicated pregnancy, and tried to convey information to her in equal ways.And is of great concern. His friends say: “They lived an exemplary family life, he respected and respected his wife.” They first settled in Neve Ativ, but Yaakov was not satisfied with his business in tourism. He aspired to the agriculture, to manual labor, to early waking, to creativity. So he moved to Kiryat Shmona, to Kfar Yuval, where the disaster happened. On the 15th of Tammuz, 5765 (June 15, 1975), Yaakov fell in battle with terrorists who penetrated the village of Yuval, and he was awarded the Medal of Valor, At dawn, terrorists penetrated into the village of Yuval and broke into his home after he left for work, and when he heard about infiltration of terrorists into his village, he rushed there from the work place. Sergeant Yakov Mordechai was killed by terrorists inside the house. Jacob was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kfar Yuval, leaving a son of Assaf, parents, five brothers and three sisters, and his wife, Simcha, and his brother-in-law fell together with him in an attack. And his family donated a Torah scroll in memory of the synagogue in Kfar Yuval.
