Ben-Yakar made aliyah from Australia in 2011 with Hezi, who served as a paratrooper in the IDF, and became a member of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in northern Israel.
Staff Sgt. (Res.) Effi Ben-Yakar, 32, who served in the IDF’s Yahalom unit and was called up at the outbreak of the war, suffered a cardiac event while on leave.
He was rushed to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv in critical condition. However, despite the efforts of the hospital’s medical teams, he was pronounced dead two weeks later.
Ben-Yakar left behind his parents, Theodora and Edmund, a twin brother, two sisters, and his partner, Noa, whom he planned to marry in August.
Following his passing, the National Transplant Center announced that Ben-Yakar was an ADI card holder, and wished for his organs to be donated to those in need.
His wishes were respected, and led to him saving the lives of four people.
Staff Sgt. (Res.) Effi Ben-Yakar. (credit: Screenshot/Facebook )
Always put others first
His lungs were transplanted into a 38-year-old woman at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, his liver was transplanted into a 71-year-old man at Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem, and his kidneys were transplanted into a 40-year-old man at Ichilov and a 64-year-old man at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva.
“How can I summarize Effi?” Ben-Yakar’s brother, Hezi, told Ynet. “I think that’s the most difficult task, because he had so many qualities.”
“Everyone who met Effi fell in love with him. He had a very witty and unique sense of humor, and a bit of a silly spirit – even if it was writing and changing the lyrics of well-known songs.”
“He was a person who loved to contribute, always saw the other before him,” Hezi said. “Every task, every request, his friends and family always came first.”
He made aliyah from Australia in 2011 with Hezi, who served as a paratrooper in the IDF, and became a member of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha in the western Negev. His sisters served in the military as instructors.
In 2015, he was awarded the President’s Award for being a role model for other soldiers, and for his contribution to “strengthening the IDF and the security of the state.”
His family described him similarly, adding that as “outside of military service, he was an avid marathon runner, a lover of traveling and photography.”
Further, they urged everyone to consider signing an ADI card to save the lives of others.