Shalom, Yitzhak (Itzik)
Yitzhak, son of Zvia and Avraham, was born on November 20, 1952, in Nahalat Yehuda Bet, the eldest son of his parents, from Yemen, and completed his elementary studies at the Brenner School in Nahalat Yehuda Aleph. A year of studies at the “Reali” school in Rishon Letzion – and one year at the IAF Technical School in Haifa, and his friends and family were fond of him, and he was always full of energy and playfulness. He did not have much patience to sit on the bench, but he participated in sports, hiking and recreation outside the home, and was a natural leader. He brought his friends everywhere and they admired him as “the king of the gang.” At the age of eleven he made a “tour” of the neighbors’ big tractor – to the delightful eyes of all the children in the neighborhood. There was something captivating, delicate and Yaffa and somewhat wild, and a smile that gave him the nickname “Itzik the sweet” among his confidants: Itzik did not do well in his studies, he needed hard physical exercise, but also the demands of the IAF Technical School. They provided it. He was looking for difficult physical challenges for his age, and already in the early years of elementary school he was able to withstand the tremendous physical effort of an adult. He liked to help his parents, and found time for this despite his involvement in football and sports. He always dreamed of joining an especially difficult combat unit to take pride in his actions in the army and to feel that he was doing his best for his country. Yitzhak was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early February 1971. After basic training and after undergoing a military police course, he was assigned to a combat unit, and his behavior became deliberately negative. He reached military prisons, out of a desire to move to a position that would suit his abilities, in which he could contribute more to the IDF. For eight months he fought with all means until his parents’ letter to the then Chief of Staff, General Bar-Lev, did his job. Yitzhak was transferred to the Golani brigade. Where he completed a course for squad commanders successfully, and there was no soldier who was happier than he, who carried out the most difficult tasks imposed on his unit. Since then he has been Simcha and kindhearted, and his parents’ home has also been marked by a turnaround in his life and family life. When he came home on one of his few vacations and was wounded in the legs by a strenuous walk, he did not complain and suffer suffering with love and complete recognition. He proved much more capable than he was required, and within a relatively short time he was a central figure in his department. On this period in his military service, his classmate wrote that Itzik was an excellent player, distinguished himself in his travels and the obstacle course, and was known as “invincible.” He excelled in organizational ability, responsibility and order, which characterized him especially in his work as commander. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Yitzhak fought in the battle for the Hermon post, and on October 10, 1973, received a direct hit, was shot and killed. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Rishon Letzion. Survived by his parents, brother and four sisters. After his fall, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
