Bar-Ilan, Azriel (Ezzi)

Son of Tova and Moshe, on his father’s side Azriel was the fifth generation in the country. He was born in Tel Aviv on May 11, 1959. Azriel was born in Tel Aviv, and later moved to Petach Tikva where he attended elementary school. Ezzi was active in various sports and also loved music, he played well on drums, and later became a member of the orchestra of the community theater in Beit Shemesh. He was a secular Jew who believed in the fundamentals of the Jewish religion and used to fast on Yom Kippur, and while he was growing up, Ezzi kept in touch with his father and found a common language on every subject he was interested in. He joined the orchestra in nearby Beit Shemesh, where he met his girlfriend Mira, who played in the community theater. Mira’s home was his second home, which provided him with warmth and shelter. Together, the two made wonderful friends, which lasted five years. They planned to marry and set up a house in Tzora, when Ezzi was released from the army. His enthusiasm for the country’s landscapes was much appreciated by many walks and landscapes. He even developed his own photographs. Azriel joined the army at the age of 19 years, and was of excellent combat ability. He was recommended to participate in an officer’s course in the Artillery Corps, and graduated with honors. He was later assigned to a paratroopers’ reconnaissance unit, as a liaison officer of the artillery unit. Two days before the outbreak of the Peace for Galilee war, Ezzi removed a plaster from his leg, and when the war broke out, he searched for his commander, Israel, and together with him went to Lebanon. During the war, he excelled in his position and prevented many casualties. On 15 Tamuz, July 6, 1982, Ezzi was shot by a sniper in the Hizmiyeh neighborhood of Beirut and brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Tzara’a. He was 23 years old.