Shaham, Yoel
Yoel, son of Rivka and Shmuel, was born on Kibbutz Ashdot Ya’akov on October 31, 1940, Yoelik, as his family called him, was born the third son to his parents. He was a naughty boy but serious, connected to his parents, but far from spoiled. From his childhood, he excelled in life and cheerfulness, and in his eyes was a spark of witty cleverness. He was therefore given the nickname “fox” among his friends. Thanks to his sensitivity and consideration for others, he was loved by the members of the kibbutz and the children, who admired him for his talents and personal charm. The Sabbaths were a pleasure to him and he had been waiting for them all week. Then he would visit with his parents in various branches of the economy, listen eagerly to their explanations about the environment, and be careful to remember the names of plants and flowers, the processes of land development during the seasons and the customs of the field animals. Yoel was drafted into the Armored Corps in early August 1959. After completing his basic training course, he was sent to the tank commanders course, where he completed his duties with great efficiency and his commanders sent him to an officer’s course. His success as a platoon commander was very great, and he decided to remain in this position, in one unit with his two good friends, who had risen to rank, refusing to go to the company commanders’ course on the grounds that there would be too many of them in our unit. Yoel married his girlfriend Mira and was active in various committees of the kibbutz. He worked in the various branches of agriculture, was chosen to serve as an economic center, and was even asked to send him to the Ruppin College to study engineering and production management. Throughout that period he also engaged in landscape photography as a hobby and remained a quiet and introverted man. In 1966 his son Ram was born, and then his daughter Adi was born in 1968 and in 1971 his son Idan was born. Yoel was very attached to his family and was a good and devoted husband and a loving and happy father to his children. During the Yom Kippur War, Yoel participated in the braking battles against the Egyptians on the Sinai front. On the 18th of Tishrei 5734 (October 14, 1973) he fell in the battles of the break-in against Ismailia and was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Ashdot Yaakov. He left behind a wife, two sons, a daughter and parents. His family and members of his kibbutz published a pamphlet in his memory and established an agricultural library to commemorate his name.
for full biography see hebrew version
