Haim Hefer, Israel Prize Winner, Dies at 86
Israel Prize laureate Haim Hefer died on Tuesday in Tel Aviv at the age of 86. Hefer, one of Israel’s most prominent writers, was best known for works such as “Yes It’s Possible,” “The Red Rock,” He Didn`t Know Her Name,” and “In Those Days.” He lived alone in Tel Aviv, and is survived by a daughter and grandchildren.
Hefer, who was born in Poland, immigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1936 at aged 11.
At age 17, he joined the Palmach – the elite strike force of the Haganah, the pre-state underground Jewish militia who struggled against the British to found the State of Israel. He founded the first military band, the Chizbatron, and during his service met playwright and journalist Dahn Ben-Amotz. The two founded “Revi’iat Moadon HaTeatron” (the Theater Club Quartet), and other troupes. They also co-wrote the hugely popular “Yalkut Hakzavim” (The Book of Fibs), a collection of short stories depicting service in the Palmach.
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Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
