Brothers For Resistance And Rescue By David Gur

when it became part of the “World Movement”, she quit and was amongthe founders of “Netzah” (Scout Zionist youth movement).In 1931 Hansi was a member of an “Ihud Mapa’i” mission to Vienna inorder to meet other similar movements in Austria. She was engaged ineducational activities and in setting up hahsharot.In 1935 she married Joel Brand.As of 1941 Hansi gave assistance to Jewish refugees who arrived inHungary from Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia. Hansi and Joel’shouse and hearts were open to all the refugees, many of whom asked fortheir help.On 19.5.1944 Joel went on a mission to Istanbul for the Relief andRescue Committee, with the support of Adolf Eichmann, in order topresent to the representatives of the Yishuv the deal of “Goods forBlood”. Before his departure, Joel introduced Hansi to Eichmann, whoentrusted her with being the contact person between the Jews andhimself.In addition to her role as liaison officer Hansi obtained and distributedforged documents and helped hide the forgery laboratory. On May 27thshe was arrested by the Hungarian secret police who wanted informationabout the laboratory, the documents and, especially, about her husband’smission to Istanbul. Hansi was interrogated and tortured but did notreveal anything. About Joel’s mission, she maintained that he wastraveling in order to buy provisions for the Germans. In the end she wasreleased due to the intervention of the Germans who did not want theHungarians to know the details of Joel’s mission.After her release Hansi resumed her activities and dealt mainly withfinancial matters in order to insure the existence of the children’s houses.At the beginning of January 1945 Hansi and her two sons went intohiding with a Christian family until the city was liberated by the Red Army.The whole family made aliya. At first they lived in Kibbutz Givat Haim butlater settled down in Tel-Aviv. Joel published his book “On a mission forthe sentenced to death” and, together, they published another book, “TheDevil and the Soul”.Brothers for Resistance and Rescue 67