Chana Szenes

Born in Budapest to a prominent literary family, Hannah (later Chana) Szenes grew up amidst rising antisemitism. Despite her comfortable upbringing, she embraced Zionism, made aliyah to Mandatory Palestine in 1939, and became a member of Kibbutz Sdot Yam, where she cultivated her poetic talents and a profound sense of purpose. Clearly, her Jewish identity was not merely a birthright but a chosen path, one she walked with unwavering conviction.

During World War II, with her mother still trapped in Hungary, Szenes volunteered for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). In 1944, she parachuted into Yugoslavia, with the ultimate goal of rescuing Hungarian Jews and aiding the resistance. She was almost immediately captured by Hungarian gendarmes, who, naturally, turned her over to the Nazis. Interrogated and tortured for months, she refused to divulge any information, even when her mother was also arrested and threatened.

Szenes faced a firing squad on November 7, 1944. Her final act of defiance was to refuse a blindfold. Her courage, poetry, and ultimate sacrifice have made her an enduring symbol of resistance and heroism, especially in Israel, where her poems are taught and revered. If ever there was a Jew who earned full marks across the board, it was Chana Szenes.