Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hannah Senesh
Paratrooper
Poet / writer
Hannah Senesh (1921-1944) is considered one of the greatest Israeli and Zionist heroes. Originally from Hungary, she made aliyah (immigration) to Israel as a teenager, and worked on a series of kibbutzim and agricultural communities. In 1941 she joined Kibbutz Sdot Yam, and then the Haganah, wanting to help rescue fellow Jews back in Europe. She became one of the 32 paratroopers sent behind enemy lines. In March, 1944, she was arrested at the Hungarian border and tried for treason, after being tortured in prison. She was executed on November 7, 1944. In 1950 her body was brought to Israel for burial on Mt. Herzl.
Senesh was also a gifted writer and poet, composing several well-known poems. “A Walk to Caesarea,” set to music and retitled “Eili, Eili,” became one of Israel’s most famous folksongs.
A Walk to Caesarea
My God, my God,
may it never end –
the sand and the sea,
the rustle of the water,
the brilliance of the sky,
the prayer of man.
