Yosef was born January 1,1924 in Jerusalem. His father Haim (Victor), and mother Joya, were Jerusalem-born; they had five children.

Chaim, among the first Hebrew Brigade’s founders who fought in Gallipoli, had  British Citizenship and administrated a British base, enabling him to assist the Hebrew Defence forces greatly. He instilled national pride in his children, inspiring Yosef to join Lehi and his two brothers to join Palmach. Yosef studied at  “Alliance” Elementary, graduating from high-school externally. In 1939 the family moved to Haifa where he joined Maccabi sports, and in 1944  joined Lehi.

He underwent an ideology and weapons-training course end of 1945. He participated in blowing up  Na’aman Bridge, and in 1946, in the  Railway Workshops Operation Haifa. where he was seriously injured then imprisoned in Akko. He stood trial and was sentenced for  execution, with eighteen other members from this operation, for  execution. He spent two weeks in solitary confinement with  those condemned, until their punishment was converted to life-imprisonment.

During the Akko Prison break-in May 1947, he was part of the first group to escape, but was  again seriously injured, captured, and returned to prison. A few months later he was transferred with the Jewish prisoners to the Central Prison, Russian Compound Jerusalem. On  February 20,1948 he was among this prison’s escapees, via a tunnel and  sewers. Two days later, during the major Ben-Yehuda St explosion, his hideout  collapsed, but this time he sustained only minor injuries.

After the British departed, he was a reporter for “Mivrak” newspaper Haifa, until it closed. After Count Bernadotte’s assasination he was arrested, this time by Israeli Authorities, and imprisoned in Akko. He was not conscripted to the IDF due to his injuries; his disabilities were later officially recognised. Nonetheless, he volunteered to serve, and was called on occasionally for Reserve duty.

Yosef married Leah Tselniker 1951, fellow Lehi member  he’d met 1948, after his  escape from  Jerusalem Prison. They have three children, six grandchildren. Since 1951 they’ve been running an independent insurance agency in Jerusalem. Yosef paints and  informally studies painting in “Betsal’el Art School” .