Kadishai was born in Poland in 1923 and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine with his family in the same year. He was a member of the Betar youth movement, and joined the Irgun (Etzel) in 1940.

During WWII he fought in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade, while at the same time purchasing illegal weapons and sending them over to the Irgun in Israel. After the war was over, he stayed in Europe as an agent for the Irgun and brought over Holocaust survivors to Israel.

He served as the secretary for Menachem Begin’s Herut party until 1977, when Begin was elected prime minister and Kadishai became his chief of staff. 
Throughout Begin’s political life, Kadishai was his right hand man and closest confidant, and was one of the very few who kept close ties with him when he left politics and went into isolation.

Yechiel passed away on November 16, 2013, at the age of 90.

Picture: Yechiel Kadishai (standing) with Prime Minister Menachem Begin