Hezi Hanom, 31: Postal worker ‘lived life as a king’
Murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7
Yehezkel “Hezi” Hanom, 31, from Petah Tikva, was murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7.
Around 8:30 a.m., he last spoke with his family, and told them he was hiding from the attackers and couldn’t talk. For a week his loved ones searched for any sign of him until they were informed that his body had been identified.
He was buried in Petah Tikva on October 15. He is survived by his parents, Lizette and Israel, and his older siblings Gili and Nadia.
The youngest in the family, Hezi attended local schools, including high school in nearby Bnei Brak, according to a state eulogy.
After graduating, he enlisted in the IDF, serving first in the army police before moving to work in the kitchen at a prison for soldiers near Haifa. When he was released, Hezi traveled around South America for several months.
Upon his return to Israel, he started working for the Israel Post and in recent years worked as a mailman in Petah Tikva, a job he greatly enjoyed.
Hezi also volunteered at a free supermarket for needy families and the elderly, his family said. His two great loves were music and soccer – he was a superfan of the Maccabi Tel Aviv team and he loved attending trance music festivals around Israel.
His friend Liraz David described Hezi in a Facebook post as “generous, funny, smiley and loved life – and you lived it as a king.”
“Everyone remembers you smiling, even if you annoyed 1,000 people – half an hour later you would come and hug whoever you argued with,” she continued. “Nobody could be mad at you.”
“You were a star that lit up the area for everyone,” Liraz continued. “The weekend arrives and there’s nobody for me to bug and look around for a good party with… I’ll continue at every festival to dance in your memory, in the place where you blossomed.”
Marking a month since he was killed, his sister, Nadia, wrote on Facebook that “just a moment ago I saw you last and now you are in the ground.”
“I can’t believe I won’t see you again, with no warm hug and loving words,” she continued. “I still can’t believe that it’s over and you won’t come back. I imagine it’s all a bad dream, that soon I’ll wake up and see you here with us.”
“My Hez-hez, you died a hero when you protected your friends and now you belong to God,” added Nadia. “I’m sure he will enjoy you the way we all enjoyed you… I loved you, I love you, and will always love you.”