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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.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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