Brothers For Resistance And Rescue By David Gur

Freiman Avigdor ‘Andi’Freiman AndrásBorn in Kassa (Košice) on 23.9.1922Died on 4.1.1945 in BudapestMember of “Beitar”Andi was the commander of “Beitar” in Hungary. Until the Germaninvasion he took part in the smuggling of Jews from Poland and Slovakiato Budapest.In March 1944 Andi arrived in the Hungarian capital and immediatelystarted organizing underground cells among the members of hismovement. He organized the delivery of forged documents to membersof “Beitar” in the country towns. He met the comrades who arrived inBudapest and integrated them in the underground activities. Avigdorprepared shelters and obtained weapons and food.In April 1944 he was caught with his friend Mendel. They were both takenback to Kassa and added to the thousands of Jews who were to bedeported. Andi managed to escape but his friend was sent to Auschwitz.Andi returned to Budapest and resumed his underground activities. OnJune 8 th he married his girlfriend, Ági. In May he was caught again andimprisoned in the Gestapo headquarters on Schwabs Hill in Buda. Fromthere too he managed to escape after ten days through a prison window.He made contact with the underground of the Hungarian CommunistParty and received from them a weapon that was used in the defense ofthe bunkers. Avigdor was caught a third time with his wife but they bothmanaged to escape. He took an active part in the establishment ofbunkers in various parts of the city.Towards the end of 1944 he and Ági moved to the “Glass House” on 29,Vadász Street. Prior to the liberation of Budapest Andi caught scarletfever and at the end of December he was transferred to KøbányaiFertøzø Kórház (The Købánya Hospital for Contagious Diseases) locatedin the tenth district. He Red Army conquered the hospital on 2.1.1945 andAndy died in the hospital two days after the Red Army invaded this part ofthe city on 4.1.1945.Brothers for Resistance and Rescue 96