Fighter (female) Barkai Mishkov Chaya

CV

Chaya was born on 15 November 1925. 
Her parents, Batya Goldstein, from Kiev county in Russia, and Dov Mishkov of Elisavetgrad in Ukraine, immigrated to Israel during the Third Aliya [wave of Jewish immigration] and settled in Haifa. 
Chaya was raised in an idealist, Zionist home that had a deep involvement in current events, emphasizing patriotism and love of the land of Israel. Already, at the age of six, she had a subscription to the children's newspaper Eton'ainu [Our Newspaper], published by Davar, a daily newspaper, and she continued to read newspapers and be interested in politics throughout her life. Chaya's twin sisters, Erella and Ziva, were born when she was seven and a half, and the three maintained a very close and loving relationship throughout their lives. 
From fifth grade on Chaya studied in the Reali School in Haifa, perceived to be the best school in the country. In addition to the regular school subjects, her classes included physical education, self-defense, and pre-military training, led by Chaim Laskov [later the fifth commander-in-chief of the Israeli military]. 
She joined the Scout movement [Hatsofim], and became a junior leader [madricha] in the well-known "Meshotetai Ba'Carmel" [The Carmel Wanderers] troop, led at that time by Arie Kroch [later leader of the Israeli Scout Movement]. 
Chaya was an activist during her years as a high school student and in the Scouts. She participated in numerous activities including demonstrations against the 1939 White Paper as well as helping illegal immigration [Ha'apala]. She joined the Zionist military organization [Hagana] in the 12th grade, and during her vacations she worked a Hagana telephone switchboard and was involved in other messaging activities. 
Upon graduation from high school, Chaya joined a senior group of Scouts committed to assisting in development of Jewish settlements. The group decided that a third of its members, including Chaya, would join the Palmach, while remaining members would be involved in settlement activity. 
Ten days after her last matriculation exam (1 June 1943), Chaya and her fellow Scouts joined the Palmach's Sixth Battalion, and was sent to Ramat Hakovesh for basic training. Several months later she participated in the swearing-in ceremony and received a rifle, smuggled in sacks in various vehicles. 
On 14 November 1943, a Palmach vehicle was stopped and searched by British soldiers. Two Palmach soldiers were arrested when guns were discovered in the vehicle. A riot developed two days later during search for weapons at Ramat HaKovesh conducted by British soldiers. 35 people were arrested and 14 injured. Buildings and property sustained significant damage. Those arrested were detained there in a barb-wire enclosure. Along with other female soldiers, Chaya threw objects and stones on the British soldiers - in her case from a balcony, including a flowerpot. 
Temporarily dismantled following events at Ramat HaKovesh, Chaya's unit was re- established at Kibbutz Maoz Chayimin Beit Shean valley. 
Training there included the Palmach's infamous lengthy hikes, which in Chaya's case included a two-week trek in the Judea Desert and to Masada. with many adventures and difficulties along the way, 
After being released from the Palmach, Chaya rejoined her Scout group. She worked for about a year in Benyamina while also undergoing training ahead of joining a settlement in the Gadera area. 
11 new settlements were established the evening after Yom Kippur in 1946 in the northern part of the Negev, including Kibbutz Be'eri [named after Berl Katznelson]. Chaya moved there with her Scout group and was among the pioneers who established the kibbutz. 
In 1947 she married Yehuda Barkai - a member of a Scout group from Tel Aviv, in a solemn ceremony, as her dear father, Dov, died prematurely at the age of 53, just days before the wedding. 
In 1948 she gave birth to Hadas - the first born. 
In 1949 the young family left Be'eri due to family circumstances and moved to Haifa to support her widowed mother. In Haifa, Chaya studied in a teacher training college and was certified as an early childhood educator. 
In 1951, Dafna, a second daughter was born. 
The family moved to Tel Aviv due to Yehuda's work with the Ministry of Defense. 
In 1956 the family traveled to New York in the United States where Yehuda worked with the Young Judea movement for two years on behalf of the Israeli Scout Movement and the Jewish Agency. 
In 1960 the youngest son Dan was born in Tel Aviv. 
In 1964 the family moved to Givatayim. 
Over the years Chaya went through a professional conversion from working as an early childhood educator to being the administrative assistant of the Israeli Boy and Girl Scout Federation, headquartered in Philips House in Tel Aviv. She worked there for many years and was active and engaged in the activities of the leadership of the biggest youth movement in Israel. 
In 1978 Chaya and Yehuda separated. Chaya remained in Givatayim until 2007, when she settled in Kibbutz Gal'ed as a parent of Hadas. She enjoyed a full and independent life there for nine years, until her demise on 6 December 2016. 
Chaya was buried in Kibbutz Gal'ed's cemetery, on a mountain's slope under the shade of pine trees, among the cyclamens. 
Throughout her life Chaya was a modest woman. She loved the homeland and Israeli culture. She enjoyed reading books and newspapers, attended theater performances and concerts, as well as adult education courses in a variety of topics. She had a special interest in archeology and history, and was well-informed and opinionated in matters related to politics and political parties. 
Chaya loved to travel in Israel and throughout the world. She always aspired to broaden her horizons and expand her knowledge. 
Above all, her primary concerns were for the health and welfare of her family! Indeed, her devotion to and responsibility she felt for her family where among her highest values and through which she expressed tremendous love and care. 
Through her three children, Chaya was fortunate to be graced with eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. 
She maintained a direct, close, generous and loving contact with everyone in her immediate and extended family, and was well-versed in all of their affairs. 
May her memory be blessed!