Imani, Hezekiah Dariusz (Hezi)

Son of Talat and Mordechai, was born in 1965 in Persia, where he studied and completed elementary school and two high school classes. In August 1979, Hezi immigrated to Israel with his younger brother. They were cared for by the Youth Aliyah Department of the Jewish Agency, and sometimes lived with their aunt in Jerusalem. After immigrating to Israel, Hezi studied for two years at the Yad Binyamin Yeshiva. Later, in 1981, he moved to Moshav Bnei Ram, in the Kiryat Malachi area. He worked for about a year as a tractor driver. In June 1983, he enlisted in the IDF and served in the Armored Corps, and since his parents and brothers remained in Persia, Hezi was recognized in the IDF as a “lone soldier” with special rights. He was trained by a family in Moshav Lachish, trained in the “Merkava” tank and promoted to corporal. During the Peace for Galilee War he served in Lebanon. As a lone soldier he was allowed to call his parents from his military base in Lebanon from time to time. These conversations made it somewhat easier for him to worry and long for his family. On December 6, 1984, Hezi was wounded in the chest during his service in Lebanon, and was transferred to the hospital in critical condition, and on three days the doctors struggled to save his life On 28 December 1984, Hezi died of his wounds. He was 19 when he died. His mother and younger brother succeeded in immigrating to Israel after being wounded and being with him in recent days. He was laid to rest at the military cemetery on Herzl in Jerusalem. He left behind a mother and three brothers in Israel, as well as a father and a brother in Persia. The commander of his unit wrote in a letter of condolence to his mother, who was called to Israel: “After fighting for his life for three weeks, Corporal Hezi died. He spent about a year and a half with us during a long period of training and ongoing security activity. He was loved by his friends, devoted and responsible, and always volunteered to perform any task. He was proud of his service in the IDF and the Armored Corps, and with courage and perseverance continued to serve, despite the distance from his parents and his family and his longing for them “