Brothers For Resistance And Rescue By David Gur

Brand JoelBrand JenőBorn in Naszód (Nåsåud) in 1906Died in 1964Member of “Ihud Mapa’i”Joel was one of the most prominent figures in the rescue of HungarianJews. His father was the founder of the telephone company in Budapest.When Joel was ten, his family moved to Germany and settled down inErfurt. After he graduated from high school, Joel traveled across theUnited States. In 1932 he returned to Erfurt. In 1933 he was arrested forleftwing activities and spent a year in prison. In 1934 Joel was expulsedfrom Germany for being a Jewish Hungarian citizen. In 1938 his motherand sisters fled Germany and arrived in Budapest.Joel was a “Poalei Tzion” activist, was elected to the central committee of“Ihud Mapa’i” and to the executive committee of the Zionist Organizationin Hungary. Together with his wife, Hansi, he gave assistance to therefugees who arrived from Germany and Austria and later from Polandand Slovakia. He was a member of the Relief and Rescue Committeeand, as such, he made contact with the representatives of the JewishYishuv in Eretz Israel (Palestine) who were based in Istanbul.After the German invasion of Hungary on 19.3.1944, Joel had contactswith the S.S., mainly Adolf Eichmann, in order to save Jews’ lives. Due tohis personality and his perfect German, in the eyes of the Germans hewas an appropriate representative. On 8.5.1944 Eichmann invited Joel toa meeting and made him an offer: the lives of a million Jews in return forsupplies and money. Eichmann even suggested that Brand travel abroadin order to make contact with Jewish organizations and close the deal.Brand arrived in Istanbul on 19.5.1944 while his wife and two sons wereheld hostages in case he did not return to Hungary. However, he was notallowed to enter Istanbul, was arrested by the British and transferred toCairo where he was imprisoned. Brand sat in an Egyptian prison from theend of May until October 6 th . On October 7 th , 1944 he arrived in EretzIsrael (Palestine) where he met with central figures of the Jewish Yishuv.He blamed them for not giving him any assistance. Teddy Kolek, EliahuGolomb and others replied that his mission was not a failure since itmade it possible to break the wall of silence in London, New York andaround the free world.Joel Brand’s activities are described in detail in his book “On a missionfor the sentenced to death”. Brand died in Frankfurt in 1964 from a heartattack while testifying against Nazi criminals.Brothers for Resistance and Rescue 68