Pletkevich, Yaakov (Kobe)

Yaakov, son of Ita and Marian, was born on January 7, 1947, in Plock, Poland. He began his studies in an elementary school in his hometown. After his family immigrated to Israel and settled in Herzliya, he completed his studies at the Weizmann elementary school. Afterward he studied at the agricultural high school in Kfar Hayarok and passed the matriculation exams. Yaakov, who was known as “Kuba”, was a quiet, humble and timid boy. He worked hard on his studies and achieved great achievements, but never bragged about it. Yaakov’s life moved around a central axis – the sport. He devoted all his time to sports, training, and games. Already in elementary school he was discovered as a multicultural athlete, and because of his excellent physical fitness he could handle many sports, including boxing, wrestling and tennis. But most of all he excelled in the soccer game. He was a member of the school’s football team in Kfar Hayarok, and led the team to win the national championship for elementary schools. When he was ten years old, he joined the soccer team of Maccabi Herzliya, which had a line up until his death. He devoted a lot of time to training and games and thanks to his talents he became one of the top players in the team. Yaakov was drafted into the IDF in early August 1965. After basic training, he was trained as a tank gunner and after a period of service in an armored unit he successfully completed a tank commander course and a course from liaison offices. Together with his comrades in the unit, he participated in the battles of the Six-Day War in Sinai and was one of the first soldiers to reach the Suez Canal. At the end of July 1968, Yaakov was released from regular service and assigned to a reserve unit of the Armored Corps. This unit absorbed the Russian tanks that were captured in the Six-Day War. As part of the reserve service, Yaakov was trained to operate the tank. After the liberation he began to establish his future and worked for two years in the military industry. Then he found his place among the staff of the Meteorological Service. He turned out to be a dedicated and loyal employee, and was highly regarded by his colleagues and by the service managers, who also expected him to progress quickly. Yaakov returned to wearing the uniform of “Maccabi” Herzliya and led her to many achievements within the Northern District of League A. His fall in battle took one of its stars, an outstanding player, who contributed greatly to the achievements of Maccabi Herzliya. During the Yom Kippur War, his unit participated in the battles of containment and infiltration against the Egyptians in the Sinai. In the battle that took place near the Firdan Bridge, on October 15, 1973, Yaakov’s tank was hit and he was killed. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Survived by his parents, brother and sister. After his fall, he was promoted to First Sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the commander of the unit wrote: “Yaakov, of blessed memory, was not eager to fight me, but from the moment he took office he saw with great seriousness what he had been given. He was full of consciousness and went out into the battle from which he did not return. He and his fallen comrades blocked their bodies with the Holocaust that was awaiting us. “