born in łódź, poland, vardi immigrated to israel in 1932. he attended the gymnasia balfour in tel aviv along with shimon peres. the two met in seventh grade after the peres' family arrived from poland. at 16, vardi enlisted into the haganah serving as a battalion commander of the givati brigade during the israel war of independence. vardi later served as the head of the office of the deputy chief of staff, deputy commander of the golani brigade (1952-1953), and as the tel aviv district commander.