Ya’akov joined the movement at the age of fifteen. From 1938 he was a member of the council and secretary of the movement. He dealt with the smuggling of refugees from Poland and Slovakia, their absorption and equipping them with Aryan documents.
In 1942 Ya’akov moved illegally to Budapest and continued with his underground activities. At the beginning of 1943 his friend, Ruth Loránd, was arrested and then Ya’akov too was caught. After interrogation he faced a dilemma: he could either be sent back to Slovakia or to a forced labor camp in Hungary. Unaware of the then temporary cessation of deportations from Slovakia to Poland, he chose to be sent to a penalty unit of forced labor. He deserted, crossed the border into Slovakia and joined his movement’s underground activities.
Ya’akov participated in the International Council of “Hashomer Hatzair” that took place on 31.12.1943 in Vágújhely (Nové Mesto nad Váhom). According to the decision of the council, in 1944 prior to the German invasion, Ya’akov made aliya with Yoshko Baumer, via Hungary, using an authentic certificate. He joined Kibbutz Ha’ogen. Ya’akov married Haika Klinger, a member of the movement and a refugee from Poland. Ya’akov left the kibbutz. He resided in Moshav Sde Nitzan.
