חגית פינטו - מנכ"לית - אחוזת צהלה

יעקוב, אדם גבה קומה, אציל נפש ונעים הליכות שעם הגיעו אלינו לאחוזת צהלה היה אהוד ואהוב ע"י חבריו, בעל חוש הומור וכריזמטי מאוד.

גבר נאה, תקשורתי ומסביר פנים, בפגישות היומיומיות שלנו בלובי, בחדר האוכל תמיד קיבל אותי עם חיוך גדול, עטיפת יד חמה ועם הגישה החיובית והאוהבת כלפי הבריות בכלל וקהילת דיירינו שמאוד אהב כאן, בפרט. יאמר לזכותו של יעקוב, שתמיד דאג ותמך ונתן מתוך הכבוד לזולת.

בתקופה האחרונה, שלא הייתה קלה עבורו, יעקוב הביע שלמות לגבי החיים, עם ההיסטוריה שלו.

עברו המפואר בשירותו בפלמ"ח וכאיש צבא לוחם ועיסוקו בתפקיד ניהולי בנמל התעופה בן גוריון כמנהל תוכן ובהמשך בהתנדבות בנתב"ג.

צוות העובדים באחוזת צהלה כיבד ואהב את יעקוב!

בברכת חיים טובים ומלאי אושר לך ולמשפחתך


Hagit Pinto - CEO - Ahuzat Zahala, Israel
https://www.a-rubi.co.il/english/ahuzat-tzahala/

Ya'akov, a tall, noble and pleasant man who came to us at the Ahuzat Zahala Assisted Living housing residence was liked and loved by his friends, with a great sense of humor and very charismatic.

A handsome, communicative and welcoming man at our daily meetings in the lobby and at the dining room, who has always welcomed me with a big smile and a warm hand wrap. He always had a positive and loving attitude towards people in general and our community of loved ones here at Ahuzat Zahala in particular. It would be to Jacob's credit, that he always cared and supported, and gave out lots of respect to others.

In recent times, which has not been easy for him, Jacob has expressed acceptance about life and death with looking back at his personal history:

His glorious past in his military service in the Palmach and as a fighter army man and his profession as duty manager of the Ben Gurion International Airport and later as volunteering at that Airport.

The staff at Zahala Mansion honored and loved Jacob!

Wishing you a good and happy life for you and your family.

מיכל אוטרמן

אני מצרפת זיכרון אחד שהוא בתוך האתוס המשפחתי שלנו שקשור לאבא שלך

בנסיעה שלנו עם המשפחה של דיויד לרומא לפני 13 שנה לא יכולתי לצאת משדה התעופה, לאחר שהתברר שאבדתי את הדרכונים שלי ושל הילדים, ונותרתי עם ליה ואלון, שהיו ילדים קטנים, בתוך שדה תעופה בעוד דיויד ומשפחתו יצאו כבר לעיר עצמה.

זה היה ערב השנה החדשה האזרחית ויום שישי שלנו והכל היה סגור. דיויד יצר קשר עם משרדי אל- על שלא יכלו לעזור ואנשי השדה טענו שסרקו את המטוס והדרכונים לא נמצאו עליו.

הייתי אובדת עצות, מנותקת מדיויד, שכבר לא נתנו לו ליצור קשר אתנו, וממתינה ל'גזר הדין' של האיטלקים שיחליטו מה לעשות אתנו. הילדים נרדמו עלי והיינו עייפים רעבים, מודאגים, חסרי אונים ומרוטי עצבים.

כל שהיה לי היה טלפון נייד מיושן, ללא זיכרון של מספרים. הורי בארץ לא ענו ואז מתוך היאוש נזכרתי באבא שלך היקר, שאז כבר היה פנסיונר של רשות שדות התעופה.

למזלי היה לי את מספר הטלפון שלו רשום בפנקס והוא ענה לי והבטיח לעזור ככל יכולתו.

תוך מספר דקות חזר אלי לטלפון, אופטימי וחייכן ואמר לי שדאג ליצור קשר עם השגרירות הישראלית ברומא וכן עם משרדי אל- על בארץ כדי שיחפשו את הדרכונים על המטוס.

ואז קרה הלא יאומן- הגיעו שני נציגי שגרירות עם מכונת למינציה ודרכונים זמניים, לקחו אותי ואת הילדים להצטלם וניפקו לנו בו במקום דרכונים זמניים כדי שנוכל להיכנס לרומא ולהתאחד עם שאר המשפחה.

אני משוכנעת שללא ההתגייסות של דוד יעקב היקר וטוב הלב- היו מחזירים אותנו לארץ אחר כבוד.

כמובן שטרח להתקשר שוב כדי לוודא שאנחנו בסדר, לידע את ההורים שלי על המקרה ולבשר לי שהדרכונים נמצאו על המטוס כאשר חזר לארץ.

מאז, בכל פעם שנפגשנו אתו- הזכרנו את הסיפור הזה שמייצג את נדיבותו, טוב לבו ודאגתו לזולת- תמיד נזכור אותו כזה.

Michal Outerman:

I have one memory that is within our family ethos that is related to your father.

On our trip with David's family to Rome 13 years ago, I couldn't get out of the airport, after it turned out that I had lost my passports and those of the children, and I stayed with Lia and Elon, who were little children, inside the Rome airport while David and his family were already leaving for the city itself.

It was New Year's Eve and a Friday, and everything was closed. David contacted El Al's offices who could not help and the agents people claimed that the plane was scanned and the passports were not found on me.

I was at a loss, detached from David, who they didn't let him contact us, and I was waiting for the 'sentencing' of the Italians to decide what to do with us. The children fell asleep on me and we were tired, hungry, helpless and nervous.

All I had with me was an old-fashioned mobile phone, with no phone numbers on it. My parents in Israel did not answer, and out of despair I remembered your dear father, who was already retired from the national airport authority.

Luckily I had his phone number in a notebook and he answered me and promised to help as much as he could.

Within a few minutes, he called me back, optimistic and smiling and told me that he had to contact the Israeli embassy in Rome as well as El Al offices in Israel to look for the passports on the plane.

Then the unbelievable happened - two embassy representatives arrived with a laminating machine and temporary passports, took me and the children to take pictures and issued us temporary passports there so that we could enter Rome and reunite with the rest of our family.

I am convinced that without the great help of our dear and kind-hearted Uncle Jacob, they would have sent me and the kids back to Israel.

Of course Jacob also bothered to call again to make sure that we were all right, to inform my parents about the case and to let me know that the passports were found on the plane when it returned to Israel.

Since then, every time we have met him - we have mentioned this story that represents his generosity, kindness and concern for others - we will always remember him like that.

I remember your Dad fondly as a master of the grand gesture.
In the summer of 1973 Micky had visited Israel for the first time since
emigrating in 1958 as a young girl with her family. On the eve of her departure she learned she was missing a document that would exempt her from paying a tax equal to the value of her return ticket. The government chose to consider her as an Israeli rather than a tourist without said document, and Israelis were being discouraged from leaving Israel, even for a visit abroad. Everyone in the family thought this was unfair.
Enter your Dad. It was Friday morning, government offices in Jerusalem close early Friday afternoon. Your Dad arranged to fly Micky by helicopter to Jerusalem and back in time to pick up this elusive document on Friday afternoon and board her plane on Sunday as scheduled.
In the Spring of 1993, just before Passover, my elderly Father was returning home from Israel with an ill advised standby ticket and the flights were full. After your Dad was made aware of this, he told us not to worry, “He will be on his plane,”and he was!
In the summer of 1995, my immediate family and I, visited Israel. Welcoming us behind the security gate was your retired Dad, escorting us out of the airport and dropping us off where we had to go.
Lastly, in the fall of 2001, returning from Karen’s Bat Mitzvah, your Dad detoured through Montreal to see an ailing Micky and her very concerned parents.
With intervals of some ten and twenty years your Dad seem to pop up at the times we appreciated him most.
Thank you for the opportunity of sharing some of my thoughts on your Dad, a good soul and a master of the grand gesture.

Although I never had the privilege to meet Jacob, I can feel how special a man he was by the wonderful son he raised, and by his beautiful granddaughters. His warmth and legacy surely live through his loving family, whom I know miss him so deeply. This memorial is such a beautiful testimony to a warm, caring husband, father and grandfather. I know Jacob will be forever remembered by those who loved him and had the good fortune to have know him ... I truly wish I had been one of them.

Yaakov is to be remembered as a person who always smiled, always helped others and always volunteered.
As their next door neighbor for many years and a friend of the two brothers, Amir and Ohad I always enjoyed visiting with Yaakov and having long conversations with him on many topics. 
When Yaakov retired he continued going to work at the aiport at Ben Gurion and volunteered to assist people with any question they had. He was very welcoming and always tried to assist people when they got under pressure at the airport.
I used to see him early in the morning taking a bucket and washing the car. always parking it in the shade and making sure it is clean and ready to go.
יהי זכרו ברוך.

I feel so lucky to have had such a great Saba. He meant so much to so many people. Even though I didn’t get to see him as much as I would have liked, I have a ton of great memories of time spent with him. He was a great inspiration of how to live a wonderful life. He was always so positive and full of energy. My dad would tell me about him going to sing in the choir even in his later years, he was always so active. I will miss him a lot and am fortunate that he was my grandfather.

I was truly lucky to have a grandfather who cared so much for me. He was always excited to have me visit, or to visit me when I was younger, and loved to play with me or read me books, as you can see in these videos. He is missed. <3

Dear Abba,
A beautiful soul is never forgotten. I keep thinking about you every day, even though it hurts a lot. I’d give anything to relive those memories again.
Miss you so much.
Love,
Ohad