Yitzhak Siton
Yitzhak, known affectionately as Zizi among his family and close friends, was born in Cairo, Egypt, as the eldest son of James and Rosie Siton. At a young age, he moved with his parents to Israel, where his sister Amalia was born. He attended elementary school at Komemiyut School in Bnei Brak until sixth grade. When the family relocated to Ramat Gan, he transferred to Yahalom School and later continued to Ort Vocational High School.
Yitzhak enlisted in the IDF in 1966, serving in the Armored Corps. He fought in the Six-Day War and the subsequent War of Attrition. After his release, he began working at "Amca," where he worked for ten years and later married Hannah. He fought in the Yom Kippur War as a tank commander, when their eldest children, Lior and Tal, were born.
Later, he worked at the first international bank for three years, during which their younger children, Noa and Ran, were born. In 1985, Yitzhak began his career in the diamond industry. In the early years, he specialized in polishing and planning rough diamonds; he was also a partner in a diamond purchasing and processing company. In 2001, he moved to South Africa and served as a production manager for several diamond companies. After nine years there, he moved to Namibia and became the operations manager for several diamond polishing companies.
Yitzhak was a hardworking man, dedicated to his job; even at the age of 77, he continued to work diligently in a significant and meaningful position. His colleagues saw him not only as a professional mentor but also as a true father figure and a genuine friend, instilling values of closeness, caring, gracefulness, and constant mutual respect. There was no one who worked with him and did not appreciate him both professionally and personally. In the years he lived and worked abroad, his unique nature required the calmness and rhythm of Africa. He was a simple man who spoke little and loved seemingly simple things: health, sunlight, coffee by the sea, a bed to sleep in, a shower, and something to eat. Above all, he loved his children, his wife, and his extended family.
On the joyous evening of Simchat Torah, Yitzhak, Hannah, and their son Tal, visiting with Pessi, his sister-in-law, and her children, were together at Kibbutz Be'eri. The extended family gathered for their usual Friday dinner, dancing and singing together in the family dining room. The next day, on Saturday, the 7th of October, at 6:30 in the morning, as the sirens blared, everyone rushed to the safe room. According to testimonies, Yitzhak was shot and killed on the spot while blocking the door of the safe room with his body against the cursed terrorists, along with Tal, as they protected his wife Hannah and his sister-in-law Pessi. The connection was severed around midday. It later became known that the terrorists rounded up additional people from neighboring houses. For hours, a battle ensued between a large group of terrorists and security forces and the IDF. Towards the evening, tank shells were fired towards the house. Out of 14 residents of the settlement, two women survived to tell the tale of the last moments.
Throughout his years abroad, Yitzhak maintained a strong and constant connection with home. His children were a source of endless pride for him. He always loved to remind them that they were perfect in his eyes, and they saw him as the best person in the world: straight as an arrow, honest, loving, with an open and astute mind, a wide heart, and an infinite capacity for giving. He was a man to whom everyone was drawn and wanted to be around, especially the children, with whom he used to fool around - they were his source of energy, and through them, he was a child at heart. In his life and in his death, he was a fighter, a precious and loving man.
He was 77 years old at his death.
May his memory be blessed
