Hannah Szenes–A Symbol of Courage, Integrity and Proud Determination.

Hannah Szenes was born on July 17, 1921 to an assimilated Jewish family in Hungary. 

After she graduated high school in 1939, she moved to pre-independence Israel and joined the Haganah. Hannah became one of the thirty-seven volunteer paratroopers from the Land of Israel in the British Army, and one of only three women who wanted to parachute into occupied Europe to save their fellow Jewish brothers and sisters. 

Hannah in pre-independence Israel in 1940

In March 1944, one week before Germany occupied Hungary, Hannah parachuted into Yugoslavia with Abba Berdichev, Reuven Dafni and Yona Rosen. Reuven Dafni recalls what he thought of Hannah’s pioneerism:

“Having a woman with us, a female paratrooper, made a huge impression on the partisans. It was pretty rare, and the parachute also wasn't what it is today, so a female paratrooper – the news spread like wildfire. There were female partisan fighters, but no paratroopers. They knew we were from Eretz Israel, and that we were Jewish, and what the Jewish people had suffered, and they treated us very well and with respect.”

Peretz Goldstein, Yoel Palgi and Yona Rosen–three of paratroopers from the Land of Israel

For three months, Hannah’s mission was to parachute into Hungary and save the Jews. Even if they didn’t manage to save the Jews, she believed that the sacrfice of their lives would give the Jews in Europe enough strength and hope to keep going. Hannah’s close friend recalls her saying:

"Even if they catch me, the Jews will know that at least one person tried to reach them." 

In early June 1944, Hannah and a few others crossed the Hungarian border and were caught just hours later. Sandor Fleischman was one of the men who crossed the border with Hannah and was caught. Reflecting back, he says: “We had to swim across. Anna carried the radio and we helped her…It was a dark night…and Aniko (Hannah) exerted tremendous effort because the previous time I had said that I can't swim across anymore, as I would drown. She crossed over five or six times. And we had to enter the water again, bring items across and transport rifles and other things that we didn't want to get wet…We hid Anna's British Army uniform in the ground, and she wore civilian clothing.”

Hannah Szenes standing in the top center in a picture with paratroopers from the Land of Israel

Hannah was sent to prison in Szombathely, and later to jail in Budapest. The guards stripped her, tied her to a chair and whipped her for three consecutive days. As a result of her beatings, she lost several teeth. Hannah was threatened to reveal intel at the expense of her mother’s life, but she didn’t confess. 

Hananh was imprisoned for five months. During her time in jail, she met Zipporah Hevroni-Razi, an 11-year-old who was smuggled from Poland into Hungary by members of the "Nasza Grupa" Hanoar Hazioni underground. She was caught and was imprisoned in the Budapest jail. She recalls: 

“In prison, my sister suddenly whistled a Hebrew song that she had learned at youth movement. We went out into the courtyard for half an hour each day, a time during which we had to walk around in pairs. Only one girl, Hannah Szenes, stood in the middle of the courtyard. They also allowed me not to walk with everyone else, because I was a young girl, which the prison wardens took into account. She approached me and asked who I was, because she had heard a Hebrew song. I met her a few times in the courtyard when she already didn't have any teeth. We knew she was a prisoner. We didn't know she was connected to Eretz Israel. We knew she had connections with the British…We only discovered who Hannah Szenes really was when we reached Israel. My sister saw a book with a photo of her in uniform.”

“Aniko's trial was on October 28. The trial was conducted in secret and I couldn't be there. They notified us that the sentence would be handed down in another week. Every day I tried to speak to the military judge so that he would let me talk to my daughter… I came to him. His offices, always teeming with people, were empty. He told me that the sentence had been carried out the previous day.”– Katherine Szenes, Hannah’s mother. 

Hannah with her mother Katherine Szenes 

On November 7, 1944, Hannah’s mother heard shots in the courtyard. When they were told that Hannah was executed an hour ago, “We stood as though turned to stone. Hannah? Impossible! Error, error, error! Every drop of blood within me roared, every nerve ending. It couldn't be! Why her, of all people and not us?! I felt I had to say something, but the words lodged in my throat. I saw that all eyes were on me. I stammered: ‘She was the most wonderful person I met in my life!’ We got up, and stood in silent tribute for a long time. Afterwards, we sat down without a word. They killed Hannah! They killed Hannah!” 

Hannah Szenes was killed at the age of 23 and is buried on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Israel. She is remembered for her courage, integrity and proud determination. 

May her memory be a blessing. 

#NeverAgain