Szymanski, Shmuel

Son of Esther and Ze’ev Leib Aryeh, was born on September 20, 1919, in the city of Ozorkow, Poland. He attended elementary school. For a living he worked as a tailor. From his childhood he dreamed of immigrating to Eretz Israel, and for that reason he joined the Hashomer Hatzair movement. His immigration was delayed due to the outbreak of World War II. Shmuel served in the Polish army, passed through the days of destruction and retreat and took part in the victory campaign, in the Warsaw system and finally in the conquest of Berlin. Due to his heroism, Shmuel received several medals. His entire family was lost in the Lodz ghetto and the one survived all his family. At the end of the war, he contacted members of Hashomer Hatzair and joined a kibbutz that was one of the last illegal immigrants to the shores of the homeland. Shmuel arrived in Israel in 1948. He enlisted in the IDF, was posted to the “Etzioni” Brigade and was sent during Operation “Winery” in southern Jerusalem, participated in the battles against the Egyptians and during the fierce battles on 17/10/1948. Remained there for about six weeks until his comrades-in-arms brought him to Israel’s tomb in Sheik-Bader B. On June 21, 1951, he was transferred to the military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.