Sigler, Yosef

Yosef, son of Bella and Samuel-Zangwill, was born on 5.11.1921 in Romania and immigrated to Israel in 1944. In his hometown he graduated from elementary school and also studied for three years in high school. After immigrating to Israel, Yosef joined the members of Kfar Etzion and became a regular member of the Haganah. In 1946 Yosef married a wife and in 1947 they established their home in Moshav Ein Vered in Tel Mond. Joseph, who owned the “gold hands,” was appointed to be responsible for the moshav’s garage and under his trusted hands all the farm implements passed. Before his enlistment in the IDF he was among the guards on Mount Scopus on behalf of the Haganah, and was drafted into the IDF at the end of July 1950. After completing a course for infantry commanders, his commanders recognized Yosef’s technical ability and placed him in the Engineering Corps. In late July 1951, Yosef was discharged from regular service following a request from Moshav Ein-Vered for his early release as a reservist who participated in the battles of Operation Kadesh and the Six-Day War. He was awarded the Kaplan Prize for the invention of a peanut picker in 1973. Despite his high age, Yosef was called up for reserve duty every year, and when the Yom Kippur War broke out, Yosef participated. He fell during on 2 Kislev (11/27/1973) at Canal Road, just north of the Great Bitter Lake. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Rehovot. He left behind a wife and daughter. After his fall, he was promoted to sergeant.