Shmuel from Russia

Shmuel Carmeli and Jerusalem friend

In my opinion, life is about people. I would like to introduce you to Shmuel Carmeli. Born 1934 in Austria. 

In 1944 with the Soviets pushing their offensive on the Nazis eastern front, Shmuel's mother, sisters and extended family were shipped to Aushwitz to be murdered. His father and brother took to the woods and met up with Jewish partisans running illegal "teen immigration" past the British naval blockade of the soon to be formed nation of Israel.

This 10 year old dodged Austrian Nazi death squads and fearing conscription into the advancing Soviet infantry Shmuel and his brother linked up with what would become Israel's Mossad and boarded a ship to Israel.

Upon arrival, he settled in Tel Aviv and was given an ID number and was placed in a kibbutz for the children from Europe to learn Hebrew and build a new life.

Shmuel witnessed the rebirth of Israel. In 1967, Shmuel was a member of the Jerusalem Brigade that fought the Jordanian army from the UN complex in Jordanian controlled east Jerusalem into the the Abu tor wadi ( now called the Forest of Peace) up the ridges of Mt Zion to recapture the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

When not in uniform Shmuel spent his entire career working as a youth worker for the city of Jerusalem .

Shmuel told me that: "Every Jew has a Hagadah and an Agada. I have just shared a portion of his Agada.

(Hagadah is our Passover story
Agada is our personal story.)

Shabbat Shalom!


לכל יהודי יש הגדה ואגדה

A friend From Jerusalem.
Friday, May 17, 2013