Hana Senesh House – Kibbutz Sdot Yam

Hana Senesh, a paratrooper and poet, was born in Hungary in 1921. As an enthusiastic Zionist she immigrated to the Land of Israel, spent two years at the agricultural school in Nahalal and joined kibbutz Sdot Yam as a member. At the peak of the holocaust of European Jewry she joined a group of Jewish paratroopers from Land of Israel on a rescue mission. She was captured while crossing the Hungarian border, captured and executed. She died at the age of 23. In her estate she had left a fascinating diary, many letters, a play and around forty poems, including : “Eli, she lo yigamer leolam” (“My God, may it never end”), “Ashrei Hagafrur” (“Blessed is the match”), “Kol kara vehalachti” (“A voice called and I went”) and more. In her memory the members of the kibbutz established the commemoration center which was named after her – the Hana Senesh House.

What’s at the site: an audiovisual display presenting Hanna Senesh’s life story, mission and death (in six languages). In the hall there is also a modest exhibition of the photos and life story of the other six paratroopers who were killed on that mission as well as a monument brought from the Budapest cemetery. The duration of the visit is about 1 hour. Activity for school classes is offered at the study center.

For the general public: the site is open for visits by groups and families. Single visitors are advised to call prior to the visit.

For children: in addition to the ordinary tour there is a possibility to work at the study center for groups of at least 15 children. It is recommended for 5th graders and older.