Stern, Shlomo (Sam)
He was born on January 26, 1914 in Poland. When he was 12, his family emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he graduated from high school. In Toronto he joined the Poalei Zion association and later joined Hechalutz. He trained in Minneapolis, USA, and from there immigrated to Palestine in 1933 in a group of American pioneers. Together with his group he trained in Degania Bet and after a while left the place and settled with several friends in Moshav Kfar Yehezkel. In 1936 he joined Kibbutz Ginossar and soon became involved in the work and social life of the place. He was an active and devoted member of his kibbutz, full of joy and optimism, even in difficult moments. During the bloody riots that began in April 1936, when the Arab hostilities intensified, the family of Shlomo, who remained abroad, tried to persuade him to return to Canada, but he vehemently refused all requests and even refused to use the family card. In his letter to his brother, he wrote, among other things, “How can you demand from me under these conditions to leave the country … How can I explain this step to your children and my children?” On the night of the 18th of Adar, 19.3.1939, as a guard on duty at Kibbutz Ginossar, a group of Arab rioters attacked the kibbutz and Shlomo was killed by the explosion of a hand grenade as he tried to chase away the attackers. He was buried in the Ginossar cemetery. After his death, his friends published a pamphlet in his memory.
