Yisrael Kristal was born in September 15, 1903 in . Kristal ended up living through and experiencing both World Wars and survived Auschwitz. In 1950 he moved to Israel.

At age three Kristal learned to speaks Hebrew language. Age four he learnt the Bible and at six the Mishna. When he was eleven he served in World War One. In 1920 he returned to his family to work in their confectionary business. During the Holocaust he spent two years in Auschwitz and saw his wife and two children die. When the Allies freed him in May 1945, he weighed 37 kilos.