Rachel Rabin Yaakov, sister of Yitzhak Rabin, dies at 101

Rachel Rabin Yaakov, sister of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and one of the founders of Kibbutz Manara, died Friday at the age of 101.

President Isaac Herzog paid tribute to Rabin Yaakov, describing her life as an example of dedication to education and public service.

“I was saddened to hear of the passing at an advanced age of dear Rachel Rabin Yaakov, whose long and remarkable life was a model of educational and public service,” Herzog said.

More than 80 years ago, Rabin Yaakov joined the pioneering group that established Kibbutz Manara on an isolated mountain near Israel’s northern border. During the 1948 War of Independence, she fought to defend the community she had helped build.

“Rachel was among the core group of pioneers who clung to the rocky soil on an isolated mountain and founded Kibbutz Manara,” Herzog said. “In the War of Independence, Rachel herself took up arms to defend the kibbutz she had built with her own hands.”

For decades, Rabin Yaakov was a prominent figure in Manara and the wider kibbutz movement. She also devoted much of her life to education, influencing generations of students.

Herzog recalled speaking with Rabin Yaakov on her 101st birthday and said she continued to mourn the assassination of her brother, whom she deeply loved and admired. Despite that loss, he said, she remained committed to public service—a contribution recognized through numerous awards and honors.

“I extend my sincere condolences to her family, loved ones and the entire Kibbutz Manara community,” Herzog concluded. “May you know no more sorrow.”