Yitzhaki, Eliyahu (Eli)

Eliyahu (Eli), son of Ayala and Yitzhak, was born on May 25, 1951, in Jerusalem. At the age of two he moved with his family to Ramle, where he acquired his education: kindergarten, elementary school, and high school. Already in his childhood his character and skills were revealed: a loyal and caring friend, a man of his company and a lover of song, story and song. In elementary school, he was always a leader of the class and, thanks to his honesty and integrity, he was permanently elected to the student council. These qualities sometimes led him to confront some teachers, and then he was a firm, uncompromising stander, though he was tender, and emotional to the point of tears. The high school opened up new horizons: literature, history, and Jewish subjects. When he chose the humanistic track, he was interested mainly in the subjects of Bible and Hebrew history and went to historical sources and collected books on archeology that illuminated the biblical period and the history of the people in his country. Eliahu was drafted into the IDF in mid-August 1969 and chose to serve in the Armored Corps, where he also chose the long and difficult route of command positions: a course for officers. With his ordination as an officer he wanted to serve as a commander in a field unit, to be close to people and tools. He completed his military service for three and a half years in Sinai and completed his service as deputy company commander, with the rank of lieutenant. In March 1973, when he was discharged from compulsory service in the Israel Defense Forces, he decided to continue his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Bible and Hebrew history. He prepared himself for this: he read a great deal of material and enrolled in the university preparatory program for English which he successfully completed and accepted as a regular student. On Yom Kippur he was drafted into his battalion – a tank battalion. On Monday, 8 October 1973, this battalion fought in front of the Second Egyptian Army in the Kantara Delta, with the aim of stopping the Egyptians on the Kantara-Bluse road. Eli’s tank was hit by a direct hit from a sagger cast. Eli was killed when he was exposed in the turret, while he and his comrades were fighting a firefight against the Egyptian enemy. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Ramle.