Bar-Giora, Moshe

Son of Ita and Mendel. He was born in 1920 in Zad Lavonov, Poland, where his father died and his mother remarried in his home town, where he studied at the “Tarbut” elementary school and was active in the Betar youth movement. In 1939 he emigrated to Palestine illegally. He sailed in Jeppo, a small ship to transport animals that sank on the way and the immigrants on board were rescued near the island of Crete and boarded the “Katina”, which also made its way to the shores of Eretz Israel. As they approached the shore on April 17, 1939, the Ma’apilim were taken off to the seaport. Moshe, who did not have time to enter the ship, had to swim to the shore and when he arrived he passed out of hunger and fatigue. In Israel, he first joined the Betar enlistment unit in Netanya and later worked in Safed and Jerusalem where he worked as an electrician in a British army camp. During the days he worked in his profession and at night he was active in his organization, mainly in the preparation of weapons. One night, on his way to a weapons storehouse, he was caught by the police and brought for interrogation at the Central Intelligence Agency in Jerusalem. He was interrogated with severe torture in order to reveal the names of his friends and was sentenced to seven years in prison and imprisoned in Jerusalem. Moshe soon adapted to the prison conditions, completed his studies and expanded his education. As a professional, he repaired electrical appliances that broke down in prison and dealt with lighting. However, his main aim was to escape from prison in order to join his fellow fighters. On December 23, 1943, together with his friend for arrest and the underground Yaakov Eliav, he planned an escape plan, according to which the prison commander was offered to install electricity accessories in his home in the area of ​​the prison for Christmas. During the installation, the two managed a daring trick to get out of the place and get out to safety. After a short time he left Jerusalem and continued his underground activity in various places in the country. On the night of the 25th of Cheshvan 5706 (1/11/1945), he headed a squad to explode the Haifa oil refineries – one of Britain’s most important economic installations in Palestine. Preparations for the operation continued for a few weeks, but when the explosives were installed, one of the suitcases exploded and caused a premature explosion that killed Moshe and wounded one of his friends. He was laid to rest in the Haifa cemetery. His mother Ita, his adoptive father Ze’ev, his sister and brother-in-law survived the horrors of the war. Their hope was that when they arrived in Israel they would be reunited with their beloved Moses. But all they found was a grave. The chapters of his life and heroism are written in the book “Unknown Soldiers,” in the book “On the Red Days,” and in “Lohamei Herut Yisrael”.