Alkalai, Ezekiel (Hezeko)
Son of Leon and Klara z “l Born on 25.9.1927 in the city of Ruse, Bulgaria, from the age of one year, Yechezkel grew up as an orphan from his mother, and when he was twelve years old, he also died from his father, who died during his service in the Bulgarian army. In January 1948, about four months before the establishment of the State of Israel, Yehezkel strove to immigrate to Eretz Israel as an “illegal immigrant.” The ship he sailed was captured by the British and he was exiled, With the rest of the passengers, to the detention camps in Cyprus, and only a year later he immigrated to Eretz Israel and stayed at the immigrant home in Pardes Hanna, where he was sent to forestry work in Safsofa, and in May 1949 he married his wife Shoshana. Yehezkel, who was a naturalist, loved to grow flowers and take care of the garden, and at the end of 1950 Yehezkel was drafted into the regular army and assigned to the infantry. In April 1953 he was transferred to reserve duty and began a long series of active reserve duty.In July 1963, Yehezkel responded to the pleas of his superiors and signed a commitment to permanent service – first in the Israel Defense Forces And two years later in the Armored Corps. He began this service with the rank of Staff Sergeant and five years later rose to the rank of major sergeant. Every time he asked to stop the service or asked to be transferred to another camp, for medical and other reasons, they urged him to continue, and his love for the IDF overcame the calculations of convenience. His last job was the commander of a registration center in his brigade. There is no lesson to the praise that his commanders lavished upon him during his long service. This is reflected in the opinion of his superiors, who fill his service portfolio. We quote some of them: 9.12.1965 – “The soldier embodies exemplary devotion and great responsibility in carrying out his duties, independent and with great work ability.” 12.6.1969 – “His attitude toward equipment and military property is, for example, doing everything to advance his work.” 9.6.1971 – “of a convenient nature, very efficient in his work, devoted and loyal, guarding military property”. 11.11.1972 – “exemplary, responsible and devoted, capable of organizing, energetic and entrepreneurial, giving a personal example to his subordinates.” 12.5.1974 – “Has extensive professional knowledge in quartermaster, responsible, devoted and fulfilling his position with great loyalty.” On February 20, 1964, Yehezkel received a letter of appreciation for a disaster-prevention action, the details of which were not known. Yehezkel took an active part in three wars: Kadesh, the Six Day War, and Yom Kippur. A Lev attack, which did not recover from him, ended Yehezkel’s exploitative life. He died at the time of his service – on March 23, 1975, at the age of 47. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery of Netanya, the city that served as his residence since he left the moshav. Survived by a wife, son and two daughters, brother and sister. He was blessed to see his son and first daughter serve in the IDF, and Yehezkel’s commander wrote to the bereaved family: “His honesty, sincerity and devotion to his mission were exemplary and exemplary to all the soldiers who worked near him”
