Lest, Zvi (Hirschli)

Son of Miriam-Bracha and Isser, was born on September 3, 1925 in the city of Lukow, Poland. In 1940, together with his father and all the men, he was sent to forced labor in a Nazi camp. When the extermination order was issued against all the Jews in the area, Zvi fled with his entire family to the forest. Seven months later he was caught by the Germans – he, his mother, his brothers and sisters with him – and after a few days of detention, one by one was executed. In desperation, Zvi attacked the Gestapo man who had executed him, dropped the gun and, together with his cousin, fled back to the forest and met again with his father. By 1944 they had been in the forests and had participated in partisan battles. When they were liberated by the Russians, he joined the ranks of the Red Army and took part in the battles to conquer Berlin. At the end of the war, the family decided to immigrate to Israel and leave for Germany on their way to Israel. He spent two and a half years in camps in Germany and only in 1948 managed to reach Israel. Immediately upon his arrival, Zwi enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces, participated in battles in Jerusalem and fell on 27 December 1948 in an exchange of fire in the Mount Zion region. He was buried in Sheik-Bader Bet. On the 17th of Sivan 5761 (21.6.1951) he was put to rest at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.