Yosef, son of Rabbi Zvi and Leah, was born August 23,1913 in Sandichov Galicia, Poland, eldest of seven children. His father was an Orthodox man, who worked in commerce and public affairs. Yosef received a religious education, studied in a “Heder” and at regular school. Aged 16 he joined Beitar and was active in the national movement. Despite objections from his parents, he made Aliyah in 1933 and joined the Beitar group in Hadera. When moving to Tel-Aviv, he continued at Beitar and was among the first to join the National Workers Union. In 1934 he joined National Defence (Hagannah B). At the outbreak of the 1936 riots, he was sent to guard in Rishpon. When National Defence split, he joined Etzel. In 1938, while in charge of Beitar’s guarding activity at Nes-Ziona, he was injured in a battle between Hebrew guards and armed Arab gangs in Kobeiba (Kfar Gvirol). At Nes-Ziona he headed the Beitar group. In August 1938 Yosef was arrested for laying a bomb in Jaffa, then released two months later for lack of evidence.
He married Devora nee Drebkin 1940. They had three children: Ze’ev (who passed away from heart attack during work), Ruthy and Shimshon, plus ten grandchildren. When Etzel split, he joined Lehi and was active until establishment of the State. He served obtaining funds, weapons, apartments and shelters for wanted and injured members, places for weapons’ storage and organisational activity, and vehicles for operations. After establishment of the State, and assassination of Folke Bernadotte, he was arrested, with Lehi leaders and hundreds of his friends, and imprisoned for about six months, in Jaffa, Akko and Jalameh. Yosef served in the IDF August 1950 to July 1952.
He worked in the administration of Tel-Aviv municipality’s engineering branch, from the early 1940s until retirement in1976. During all his work years at the Municipality he was active at the Workers Association and National Workers Union. Yosef passed away on June 6,1983, and was buried in the Lehi section of Holon cemetery.