Nadal, Jacob

Jacob (Jacques), son of Sarah and Morris, was born on August 3, 1946, in Cairo, Egypt, where he immigrated to Israel with his family in 1957 and attended the Magenim Elementary School in Holon. Jacques, as his family and friends affectionately called him, began his life a second time when he immigrated to Israel at the age of 11. After spending a short time in the Yavneh transit camp, Holon, where for the first time in his life Jacques began to be very close to his surroundings, and in Israel, in an environment that is not hostile, he acquired his first friends and here he succeeded for the first time in developing his many talents. And his work in the field of plastic arts attests to his great sensitivity to the world around him and to his openness to what is happening around him, and he has generally spent his leisure time building various models and reading books in the field of building and architecture Naturally pursuing his high school studies in engineering and architecture, finding the ideal combination he sought – his talents in the natural sciences and mathematics, and his great love for the plastic arts. The school teachers remember him as an enthusiastic and diligent student who spent the night studying theoretical and practical studies. He was particularly pleased with his thesis. In his characteristic energy he devoted himself to building the thesis and was able to win the special appreciation of his teachers for the originality of his ideas. After completing his studies, he was certified as a building engineer. Yaakov was drafted into the IDF at the end of February 1968. After completing basic training, he successfully completed a tank commander course and was awarded the rank of sergeant, and his success in command positions quickly accelerated his promotion. He was an excellent, dedicated and efficient officer, and his special personality and qualities served as a commander in his unit, both admired and beloved: During his service he served as commander of the tank division and deputy company commander Tanks, and his commanders at that time regarded him as a lieutenant Who has performed his duties as efficiently as possible and as a person who knows how to maintain excellent working relations with his subordinates, especially his honesty, sincerity and courage, and after his release from regular service he returned to his profession in a well-known architectural firm. At the same time, he began preparing for the entrance exams to the Technion in Haifa, and in October 1971 he began his studies at the Faculty of Architecture after successfully passing his exams. The period of his studies in Haifa is remembered to his friends as the period of flowering in his life. He excelled in his studies, his achievements were recognized and he managed to acquire many friends and lead an active social life. A project in the residential area, which he designed and studied in his second year, was highly appreciated. In the summer recess of that year, Jacques married his girlfriend Hadassah. They went on a honeymoon abroad and less than two months later the Yom Kippur War broke out. During the war Jacques participated in battles against the Syrians near the Nahf camp in the Golan Heights, in the capacity of deputy commander of a tank company. On the 7th of Tishrei 5740 (7.10.1973), his tank was hit, a direct hit and he was killed on the spot. He was brought to eternal rest in a military ceremony at the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. He left behind a wife, a father and a brother. In a letter of condolences “After his fall, Lieutenant Ya’akov was promoted to the rank of captain, in recognition of his leadership and dedication to carrying out tasks assigned to him during the fighting.”