Women have long been at the heart of resistance, risking everything to protect others and challenge oppression. Hannah Szenes, born in Budapest in 1921, became a poet and parachutist, volunteering to save Hungarian Jews under Nazi occupation.
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In 1939, as antisemitism rose, Hannah left Hungary for Mandatory Palestine. She joined a kibbutz, wrote poetry in Hebrew, studied, and prepared herself for a life of purpose. By 1943, she volunteered for a mission many would never survive.
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Hannah was selected from hundreds of volunteers and trained with the British Special Operations Executive in Egypt. She learned parachuting, communications, and survival skills — all to return to Europe behind enemy lines and organize rescue efforts for Jews.
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In March 1944, she parachuted into Yugoslavia with three companions. Their goal: reach Hungary, contact partisans, and help Jews escape deportation. From the start, the mission was dangerous, with every step potentially fatal.
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On June 7, 1944, she crossed into German-occupied Hungary. Almost immediately, she was arrested by Hungarian forces allied with the Nazis, carrying her radio transmitter. Within hours, the full danger of her mission became real — capture, torture, and likely death.
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Hannah endured repeated interrogations and torture. Guards demanded she reveal codes and contacts, threatening her mother. She refused. Her defiance was deliberate and protective — safeguarding those she was sent to help, even at the cost of her own life.
doyleglass.com/2025/...
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Even after her death, Hannah’s poems preserve her spirit. Translated from Hebrew, one reads: “My God, my God, may it never end — the sand and the sea, the rustle of the water…” A glimpse into her hopes, fears, and courage.
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Another, translated from Hebrew, “Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame…”, written in 1944, became a symbol of courage. Even knowing the cost, she chose to act, and resist.
jwa.org/thisweek/sep...
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I think about the power of women in resistance. Hannah Szenes is part of that history — a reminder of courage, defiance, and heroism. And today, I think about Iranian women. They've been at the forefront of resistance against the Islamic regime for over 40 years.
#FreeIran #RiseIran
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Further reading:
• Eli, Eli / A Walk to Caesarea — poem & song history
• US Holocaust Memorial Museum — Szenes biography
• Essays on women in WWII resistance
• Collections of Hannah’s letters, poems & diaries
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