Reznik, Yochanan-Ya’akov

Son of Aharon. Born in 1894 in Russia and during the Second Aliyah, he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1911. He was one of the first co-opers according to the Oppenheimer method in Merhavia, and a few years later went to Russia to bring his younger brothers to Israel. He became engaged to Miriam Gutman and they lived in her parents’ home in Merhavia. On the 4th of Iyar 26.4.1917, Yochanan left with a friend to guard the fields of the settlement. His friend accidentally fired a bullet from his rifle, wounded Yochanan and caused his death. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Merhavia and his bones were later transferred to the Hashomer cemetery in Kfar Giladi. He left his fiancé and a daughter who was born after his death and was named after him, but died when she was a toddler. The history and circumstances of Yochanan’s death are told in the books “Merhavia” by Joseph Rabinowitz and “Merhavia” by Uri Sheffer.