Kashtan, Batya

Daughter of Leah and Asher. She was born in 1901 in the town of Stolin, Poland. At the home of her father, who was a Hebrew teacher and for a period of time served as a representative of the Hovevei Zion association in his hometown, she received a Zionist education and Hebrew and general education. She also read extensively. Later she joined the Hechalutz movement and in 1931 went to the “Shachariya” Company’s training unit in the city of Baranowicze. The harsh living conditions in the hachshara caused many friends to leave, but Batya not only maintained her work but also encouraged her friends. In 1932, she immigrated to Israel in a group of “Maccabiah” immigrants and joined the “Ha-Kovesh” group, whose members were in Kfar Saba. Here, too, a test of suffering was passed because of the difficult living conditions, exhausting physical work, an uncomfortable climate, and a new society that needed to be absorbed. She stood up to the test. Her spirit did not diminish, and she continued to read a lot and to deal with other things on the side of her work. She was silent and rarely spoke at meetings or gatherings. On the morning of 7 Av, August 4, 1938, in the afternoon, a truck carrying 17 members of Ramat Hakovesh who worked in the citrus grove not far from the farm, went to their home after the day’s work ended. They were ambushed, she was seriously wounded and on her way to the hospital, she died. Batya was buried in the Ramat Hakovesh cemetery and her memory was raised in “Days of Ramah”.