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Yasky, Dr. Chaim

Yasky, Dr. Chaim


Chaim, son of Tzila and Yisrael Yasky, was born in the city of Kishinev in 1896. In 1915 he was admitted to the medical faculty of the university in Odessa, and continued his Zionist work in the organization of Zionist students. In November 1921 he volunteered for the Hadassah clinic in Haifa. In 1924, he was appointed director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Hadassah branch in Tel Aviv, where he served for half a year. With the opening of the Medical Center in 1939, Dr. Yasky saw the realization of his dream, and shortly thereafter, the plans for the establishment of the medical school began. With the outbreak of the Second World War the institution was adapted for the war effort of the Yishuv. The road to Mount Scopus passed through the Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. On the morning of 13.4.1948, a convoy left for Mount Scopus, after the British promised that the road was open and safe. The convoy encountered an Arab ambush and hundreds of Arabs hurled heavy gunfire at it. Two buses, an ambulance and a escort vehicle were ambushed. For many hours the convoy members fought and tried to prevent the Arabs from approaching the vehicles. British military forces in the area did not intervene and did nothing to help, despite appeals to them. In the afternoon, the Arabs managed to set fire to two buses and only late in the evening did the British intervene and rescue the survivors from the trapped vehicles. On 4 Nissan, April 13, 1948, Dr. Yasky died with the rest of the Hadassah employees who boarded the convoy and was brought to rest in the Sanhedria cemetery.

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