Jack “Yanky” Fachler (1957-64)

The Road from Carmel

Joining Jill and Doron on our 24th episode, the sixth of our second season, to tell us his story is our first guest from Ireland, author Yanky Fachler, known as Jacky at Carmel College, where he was Head Boy.

Following two years at Yeshiva in Israel, Yanky studied Psychology, Sociology and Economics at Brunel, where he also earned a Masters degree in Sociology, before returning to Israel. For two decades he then worked with a multitude of Israeli advertising agencies as an English language freelance copywriter until he moved to Ireland to coach corporate executives in communication. He now lives with his wife in a small town between Belfast and Dublin, and chairs the Jewish Historical Society of Ireland. Yanky is a regular contributor to the ‘Word in Edgeways’ broadcast, and a writer. In addition to his memoirs (“Yanky’s Doodles”), he wrote a book on the Jewish community of Letchworth, in which he grew up, and since October 7th, emails out several times a week a morale-boosting summary of the relevant news. His two sons live in California and Israel, respectively.

Hear Yanky talk about why’ Yanky’ became ‘Jacky’, becoming Head Boy, his act of civil disobedience in the Carmel synagogue, and beating The Beatles to record at Abbey Road Studios.

Thank you, Yanky Jack Fachler, for turning us again to Carmel days!

The chapter on Carmel College from Yanky’s memoirs can be found here: https://www.carmelcollege.co.uk/the-road-from-carmel-podcast

Dedication: at Yanky’s request, this episode is dedicated to the memory of Yisrael Alexander, his former teacher as well as father of his friend and Carmel contemporary, David Alexander. Born in Berlin, the son of a rabbi, Yisrael was - at the age of 15, in 1938, following Kristallnacht - deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp for belonging to a Zionist youth movement, but managed to escape the Shoah on a Kindertransport to England, where he met not only his future wife, Chaya, but also Yanky’s parents. Around the time of the State of Israel’s founding, Yisrael and Chaya joined a kibbutz. In the mid-fifties, Yisrael and his young family came to Carmel, where he taught Jewish Studies, Hebrew and German. He passed away in Israel in 2005 at the age of 84.

Personal mentions in this episode:

• Rabbi Dr. Kopul Rosen (Founder & Principal)

• Abraham Carmel (English & Classics)

• Reverend Bernard Ward (Latin)

• Joshua Gabbay (French)

• Mendel Bloch (Jewish Studies & English)

• Mordechai Fachler

• Brian Bloom

• David Duke

• Stuart Cohen

• David Rosen

• Jeremy Rosen

• David Alexander

• Chaim Fachler

• David Dangoor

• Alan Gold

• Clive Toberman

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Information and tickets for the podcast’s live event in London on Sunday, August 18 are available at https://www.eventcreate.com/e/theroadfromcarmellive - hope to see you there!