Tucker, Yaakov

Son of Haya Gitel and Avraham Kalman. He was born in 1899 in Gionundz, near Bialystok, Poland. Later he joined the volunteers of the American Jewish Legion during World War I. On 11 Adar, March 1, 1920, Arabs entered the courtyard of Tel Hai and they opened fire. In the exchange of fire that developed in the yard and in the house of the defenders, Yaakov was hit in the head and shortly afterwards died of his wounds. He was laid to rest in the Tel Hai cemetery along with seven other members who fell in battle. The Aryeh monument erected on the site, inscribed with the names of the fallen, symbolizes the heroism of the defenders. Jacob’s name was immortalized in “The History of the Haganah”, in the book “Yizkor” published by the Jabotinsky Institute, in the book “Hashomer” and in the book “Yizkor” published by immigrants from his hometown. The town of Kiryat Shmona is named after the eight fallen soldiers.