Gutman, Chaim Yehezkel (Hezki)
Ben Bracha and Yaakov Moshe. He was born in Beit El, the third of the eight children of the family, to Yehudit, Ariel, Batya, Bilha, Yair, Eilat and Yehuda. Hezi was a mischievous student, his parents say, who was not very diligent and his teachers were not always pleased with him, but he was very prominent in the social sphere, always a member of the class and even hundreds of friends. He was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, and during his leisure time he was very fond of sports – he played basketball and was a great swimmer, and to his surprise, Hezki succeeded in his studies and took out his matriculation certificate. After graduating from high school, he joined the pre-military preparatory program in Keshet, in the Golan Heights, and he went on to classes … “Always, when the performance was high,” says his mother “He made sure to lower him so he would not have to make an effort.” In July 2000, Hezki enlisted in the IDF. This time he surprised everyone, when he passed the draft and was accepted to the ‘Raven’ unit in the Givati Brigade. He was sent to a paramedics course even before basic training. This time Hezki decided to study seriously in order to meet the demands, and he did successfully finish the paramedics course and returned to the unit. After basic training he was stationed as a paramedic in the northern Gaza Strip. Hezki loved the army and his service very well. There was only one complaint – routine and boring, there is not enough action. The situation has changed since the beginning of 2002, when terrorists began to try to infiltrate settlements and lay explosive charges. At the time, Hezki was appointed a company medic. On Thursday, June 15, 2002, Hezki fell in combat activity in the Dugit area of the northern Gaza Strip, and returned from a three-day vacation at home. On Saturday afternoon, the company went to work. They encountered terrorists, and in the ensuing battle, Hezki was killed. In the battle, Sergeant Alex Gladkov was also killed. The commander of the two, Captain Anatoly Karasik, was seriously wounded and died of his injuries a week later. Hezki was twenty-one years old when he fell. After his death, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, who was buried in the military section of the cemetery in Beit El, and left behind his parents, three brothers and four sisters: “We continue life,” Hezki’s parents write, “and try to preserve his legacy: , Family and helping others. Of blessed memory.”
