Yona Fricker
Yona was born on August 4th, 1954 in Tel Aviv, to Yerachmiel and Rachel Tenenbaum, the elder sister to Aviva and Itzik. Yerachmiel was a Holocaust survivor from Poland, and Rachel immigrated from Romania. Rachel was a homemaker, while Yerachmiel made his living as a plumber and was a talented musician who played a number of instruments, and often included Yona in his performances. The family spent much time at the beach, close to where they lived in Jaffa. At home, Yona learned to love Israel. The grandmother, who lived with them, was religious, and they were observant and lit Shabbat candles at home. Yona accompanied her grandmother to synagogue, spoke Yiddish with her, and went with her to the Yiddish theater.
When Yona was three years old, the family moved to Holon where she had a pleasant childhood. Every day the neighborhood children gathered for games and adventures. They loved digging bunkers and setting up tents, putting on shows for their parents and coming home late in the evening. Yona was also involved in the Scouts, loved reading and could be absorbed by a book, reading until dawn.
When Yona was 12 and a half, misfortune befell the family. Aviva, her 8-year-old sister, was killed in an accident along with her best friend. Her parents never got over it, and the family fell apart. Her grandmother, who had been like a second mother to Yona, died a year later from cancer. At 14, Yona went to the “Ayanot” youth village boarding school. Two years later, she returned to her parents’ home, studied in an external program, and participated in drama and theater groups of the youth movement ‘HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed’.
In 1972, Yona enlisted in the IDF as a lone soldier. She served as part of the ‘Shelach’ (‘Field, Nation, Society’) program in Kibbutz Be'eri, and met the man who was to become her first husband. Together they traveled to Switzerland, married, and Yona worked in a large Swiss bank. Four years later, they returned to Israel and joined Kibbutz Be'eri. In 1979 Aviv was born. She was named for Aviva, Yona’s sister. Two years later, Yona and her first husband divorced.
A short time later, Yona and Ablum became a couple. In 1992, Sigal was born, followed by Stav a year later. Ablum was already the father of Shani, Gal and Niv. Yona also looked after Ablum’s children and he, in turn, was like a father to Aviv. The good bond between the family was kept up even when Yona and Ablum split. For the last 23 years, Yona enjoyed a special relationship, like a pair of doves, with Mordechai Naveh. Mordechai accepted Aviv, Sigal and Stav warmly. Yona loved his children and made a point of holding family events and festive meals.
Yona worked in the accounting department and graphics at the printing house. Later she found her true place in the sewing workshop, where she worked for many years, even after retirement. She always loved to sew. She had a sewing machine at home and when Sigal and Stav were little she would sew them dresses and make a matching dress for herself, too. She continued to sew dresses for her granddaughters as well: Leah, Ori, Zohar and Lynne — Aviv’s daughters, and Tohar, Elinor and Sapir — Sigal’s daughters. The dresses she herself wore were the fruits of her own design and creation. She used to wear floral, colorful clothes, and loose, brightly-colored dresses, and unique shoes and boots, in a style unusual in the kibbutz landscape: she was very well put together, made up, blow-dried hair and coordinated dress, shoes and jewelry.
Yona was an artist. She painted impressive oil paintings on canvas. These paintings decorated the walls of Ablum’s house. She also made jewelry and did beading. She loved cooking and baking. Her mille-feuille cake was the best in the world. Yona was gentle in speech and touch. She avoided quarrels and confrontations as much as possible, always meant well, and always had a smile lighting up her face.
Yona was very family-oriented; she was a loving sister, generous and caring to her brother Itzik, and a loyal daughter to her mother when they lived in Jaffa. In her mother’s old age, she brought her to live beside her in Neot Be'eri. She was a devoted and attentive mother and grandmother, supportive and making sure that everyone had what they needed. Family was more important to her than any academic achievements. She told her daughters: “No matter what you do — the main thing is that you be a good person.” She was proud of each of her daughters and supported everything that they did. Her granddaughters who don’t live in Be'eri loved to come spend time with Grandma on the kibbutz, at the pool, at the petting zoo, in the dining room, to ride her golf cart with her. The granddaughters who live in Be'eri spent time with her at every opportunity.
Yona loved her house, her family and the kibbutz. After meals in the dining room, she and Mordechai loved to sit in the smoking pavilion outside, with the coffee with foam that Yona meticulously prepared; there they sat and chatted with friends.
On Wednesday, three days before the disaster, the whole extended family met on Yona’s porch: Mordechai, Ablum, Aviv with Asaf and the girls, Sigal with Andre and the girls, Stav with Roey, the new boyfriend whom Yona managed to meet and even wrote to Stav how lucky she was. Everyone enjoyed the peacefulness of the kibbutz, and the fun of being together as a family.
On Saturday, the 7th of October, terrorists broke into Yona’s home. She held the door to the safe room so that they could not enter, and when she could not hold it any longer, she called Mordechai to help. Mordechai was murdered on his way to her.
Ablum was also killed on that same day.
Yona was thought to be missing for an entire month.
She was 69 when she died.
May her memory be a blessing.
