Hannah Senesh was a young poet known for her bravery during WWII. On a secret mission, she parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue Hungarian Jews before they could be sent to the gas chambers at Auschwitz.
At just 22 years old, Hannah volunteered with a group of Jewish paratroopers for the British Forces and parachuted into Yugoslavia in March 1944. There, she joined local partisan groups in the fight against the Nazis. Just a few months later, in June, she fearlessly crossed the border into Nazi-occupied Hungary, where she was captured, arrested, and tortured for several months. Despite her suffering, she never wavered in her loyalty to her people and her mission. Hannah was executed 80 years ago today, on November 7, 1944.
“There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world even though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind.” – Hannah Senesh
