"Yossi Wanted to Wish a Peaceful Shabbat, It Was the Last Call"

It seems there isn't anyone who hasn't come across the letter written by the beloved principal Yossi Hershkowitz to his students before he was drafted for the war in Gaza, a war from which he did not return home. "Dear Students," Yossi wrote, "I want to personally ask each of you not to speak slander about the people of Israel... there is no leftist, rightist, or ultra-orthodox. There are only Jews. The Hamas Nazis did not separate us, they didn't care what we chose or what we thought. This is the soul-searching we must do for ourselves - not to speak slander..."

Weeks later, after Yossi fell in battle and did not return home, these words remained as a last testament. But the numerous stories about the great educator and principal, his incredible educational methods, and the person he was, continue to resonate. "We keep receiving more and more stories that illustrate who Yossi was and how many students continue his legacy and do not forget it," says his father, Yaakov Hershkowitz.

Yossi with his parents

Playing Life's Tune

If we expected that this special educator was destined for this from birth, his father argues otherwise. "Yossi was the best and most normal child," he explains, "he behaved well and studied as he should, but there wasn't anything outstanding about him. We lived in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem during those years, and he was a child like any other. The first time we began to see Yossi's connection to the world of education was when he studied at a yeshiva and was appointed as a youth movement counselor in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood. It meant walking eight kilometers every Shabbat to guide the youths. These were youths from challenging homes, and Yossi needed to work hard to unite them around him and take care of them. It was then that we first saw how he was capable of 'winning souls' and ready to invest and sacrifice for it."

Yossi, as his father shares, studied at a hesder yeshiva, and when it came time for recruitment, he joined the naval commando unit. He started the course but had to leave after a year due to a medical issue and continued with the paratroopers, serving for two years, before eventually returning to yeshiva.

Yaakov pauses for a moment, wanting to share something more about his son: "Yossi started playing the violin at the age of three and did so with great talent," he notes, "this might sound exaggerated or strange, but he was very talented at it. He continued to play until he entered the yeshiva, where he claimed he had no time for it and set the violin aside. However, after the army, he traveled to India and Nepal, where he met Rabbi Hezi Lipschutz, who asked him to replace him for three weeks due to a trip. Yossi took over for him during that period, and then something amazing happened – an Israeli guy arrived there playing the violin in the pastoral landscape. At a certain point, Yossi asked him for the violin to see if he remembered how to play, and from that moment, he bonded with the violin with all his heart and never let it go. It became his tool. Wherever he went, he took the violin with him, using it to bring joy to people. During his university studies, Yossi played at weddings and thus supported himself, often telling me that through the violin, he expressed his soul's emotions. I personally relied on him quite a bit within the framework of the 'Connected Plus' organization I manage, which supports cancer patients. I often sent him to volunteer and play for patients in hospitals, and Yossi never refused."

Yossi and the violin

A Principal Who Sees the Children

Yaakov continues to take us forward, telling about Yossi's university studies. "Yossi chose to study history and Judaism and then went on to teaching certification. The truth is, it was a surprise to all of us because we never thought he would become a teacher, but it turns out that this was the field that touched him the most. He wasn't naturally brilliant but rather a man of hard work, and because of that, he succeeded in relating to the students, giving them good advice, and understanding what they were going through. In his early years as a teacher, he taught at an institution for children on the edge. Some didn't want to study at all, some had a criminal past, but Yossi managed to guide them to safe places, a feat worthy of admiration. Very many of his students completed their studies with a matriculation certificate, and many of them got married and established illustrious families. Many of them reached out to me after Yossi was killed and told me through tears that they are where they are today thanks to him."

But what was his secret? What made him succeed where so many fail?

"His secret was one and only: he saw his students; they weren't invisible to him. When a student struggled with studies and didn't have money for a private tutor, Yossi would find the money for him, and if a student caused problems in class, Yossi would sometimes go directly to the student's home, look him in the eyes without saying a word, and then leave. Yossi's warm and caring gaze evidently had its effect. I truly believe he was an educator of the highest order."

About a decade ago, Yossi received an offer – to teach Judaism and Hebrew in the United States. His father points out that he truly saw it as a mission, and for several years he lived with his family in the U.S., where he engaged far beyond teaching, investing every effort to connect his students to distant Israel.

"But when his mission abroad ended, he simply returned to Israel," notes Yaakov, "and of course, he continued his educational work here, this time at the 'Pelech' school for boys." Almost two and a half years ago, Yossi became the school's principal, and as his father notes, he breathed new life into it.

"Yossi was a principal who sees the children and creates innovative ideas to help them," he explains. "For instance, last year he introduced an app called 'Good Point,' where each teacher was required to send the parents of each student something good their child did that day. The idea was that instead of creating a situation where teachers complain to parents and ask them to sign complaint notes, they would regularly praise the students, so the parents would feel energized and proud."

Yaakov notes that Yossi's creativity was surprising, and even now, after the mourning period, he constantly hears stories from Yossi's students. "This week, a former student of Yossi told me that he complained to Yossi about not having the energy to study. Yossi asked him what he likes to do, and the student replied that he likes to swim. Yossi's response was, 'If that's the case, I'm giving you permission to come to school late every day after a morning swim,' and so it was. Later, when the student complained about failing in studies, Yossi asked him: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' The student answered, 'A swimmer,' and Yossi directly replied, 'You won't be a swimmer, but if you study as needed – you could join the navy commandos.' The student insisted, 'I can't,' and Yossi answered with complete faith, 'You can.' This young man later told me while crying that he is now in the navy commandos and will complete the course in eight months. He planned all along to invite Yossi to the graduation ceremony, and now he asks that at least Yossi's wife attend in his place."

Admired principal and educator. Yossi Hershkowitz

Continuing to Resonate

Even when the Sword of Iron War broke out, Yossi revealed himself as a first-rate educator. "When he was called to reserves and joined the war, he sent an especially moving recorded message to his students," Yaakov recalls the message we mentioned at the start. "After several days of fighting, we, the parents, received a letter from Yossi, in which he wrote to us: 'Thank you for the education you gave me for teaching me not to constantly think about what I can take but rather what I can give to the people and the state.' He also added in the letter about how what he sees in Gaza is 'like the Mount Sinai event, all together like one person with one heart.' There were other expressions and sentences in the letter that moved us to tears, and they are what remained after him."

And when was your last conversation?

"Our last conversation was on Friday evening before they entered Gaza. Yossi called and asked to wish a peaceful Shabbat and receive my blessing. I wished him a peaceful Shabbat and blessed him. I understood what it was about; he didn't need to elaborate. I wished him much success and asked him to take care of himself."

Were you worried? Did you feel something was going to happen?

"Of course I was worried, as any father would be. Even though I served in the army for quite some time, when it's your child, you feel something in your heart, and it's hard. Of course, I never thought for a moment to stop him or prevent him from fighting. You cannot educate for something particular and in moments of truth say, 'Oops, I didn't mean it.' I am sure that even if Yossi knew these were his last moments, he wouldn't regret it for a second because he always did the right thing at the right time and place. That is what he taught his students as well."

And Yaakov wishes to add something for the conclusion: "I saw Yossi's face at the funeral before they laid him in the sacred ground. They were very calm and peaceful, as if he was saying: 'Dad, it's okay, continue with life even though it's hard.' And he also has a will he told us several times during the war: to continue the work in Gaza, because if it isn't finished – we have done nothing. 'The people of Israel were humiliated and desecrated, and it must be resolved,' he told us."

Are you planning anything to commemorate him?

"There are several options and ideas on the table. We are currently engaged in writing a Torah scroll in his memory, a study hall in his name is also going to be established, and there is a lot of activity we are doing in the educational field to spread his educational philosophy further. Because these things must continue to resonate."

He saw it as his mission to fight for the people of Israel (Yossi in battle)