Brothers For Resistance And Rescue By David Gur

history. The Hungarian “Hashomer Hatzair” movement was founded in 1927 by Dr. Havas whoarrived in Budapest from Transylvania. The first group consisted of eight members. In 1930 the firstsix members made aliya within the framework of Kibbutz I (Ma’abarot). In 1932 the movementalready had 1,000 members and 15 hahsharot. In 1931 a group for Kibbutz II (Ramat Hashofet) gotorganized. During its existence in Hungary the movement had thousands of members and tens ofkenim and hahsharot all over the country and hundreds of its members made aliya, founded newkibbutzim or joined existing ones. During WW II “Hashomer Hatzair” dealt with a variety of rescueand self-defense operations. When the communist regime in Hungary fell apart in 1989 themovement was reestablished and is still active.“Gordonia Maccabi Hatzair”“Gordonia Maccabi Hatzair” was a youth movement with ideological affiliations to “Mapai”. InHungary it operated at first mainly among the alumni of the Jewish high school who were studyingat institutions of higher learning. In 1938 it became a national movement. A year later the nationalleadership was elected and a first group of Zionists even made aliya within the framework of AliyaBet. Members who were refugees from Slovakia integrated the movement’s leadership. “GordoniaMaccabi Hatzair” took an active part in the rescue and resistance operations. After WW II themovement dealt with the rehabilitation of the remaining refugees and the preparation of youngstersfor aliya and their journey to Eretz Israel (Palestine). In order to carry out these missions,widespread educational work developed in peer groups, children’s houses and hahsharot. TheZionist olim founded the movement’s kibbutz, Tze’elim, but within a short period of time, as a resultof a movement’s decision, the members were sent to revitalize Kfar Hahoresh while many othersjoined other existing kibbutzim, especially Metzuba.ParatroopersAlready in 1942 the Hagana planned to infiltrate fighters from Eretz Israel (Palestine) into theGerman occupied countries mainly to organize resistance and encourage aliya. The institutions ofthe kibbutz movement even presented candidates for the mission. However, only in 1944 were theparatroopers from the Yishuv sent to Europe after training within the framework of the British army.Some of the paratroopers were to parachute in Romania and Yugoslavia in order to cross theborder into Hungary. The leaders of the Yishuv considered the rescue of Jews as of ultimateimportance while the British planned to help the prisoners of war and conduct espionageoperations using the paratroopers who spoke the languages of the countries of destination.“The Shimoni Group”The group was called after Dov Shimoni and dealt with the running of the hospital on 14, RákócziStreet outside the ghetto (from 16.11.1944). Many Jews, forced labor workers of the ShimoniGroup and foreign draftees, found refuge in the hospital as patients, members of the medical staffand first aid team.Brothers for Resistance and Rescue 20