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Prisoners of Zion. 1941, page 1.




Arie Abel

Born in 1912 in Vilno, he became a member of the organization “Poalei Zion” until 1939. As a result of his Zionist activity he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Rehabilitated in 1957 and, after many appeals to the authorities, he got to Israel in 1960.





Bela Abramovich

Born in 1912 in Riga. After the occupation of Latvia by USSR, she and her brothers tried to escape from Latvia to the USSR in the hope of crossing the borders between Turkmenistan & Iran and reaching Eretz Israel. After being seized by the authorities, she was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, which she served in Nignij Tagil. Freed in 1956, she returned to Riga. She succeeded in reaching Israel with her brother Lev in 1972. Boris died in prison.





Lev Abramovich

Born in 1920 in Riga, Latvia, to a Zionist family which observed Jewish tradition. In 1933 joined the organization Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair, collecting donations for Keren Kayemet and Keren Ha Yesod. After the occupation of Latvia, Lev tried to escape from Latvia to the USSR, together with his sister Bella and brother Boris in order to attempt the crossing of the border between Turkmenistan & Iran, in an attempt to reach Eretz Israel. Seized by the authorities, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment followed by 5 years of exile. He served his time in VostUrallag in the Eastern Urals. Freed in 1956, he returned to Riga to continue in his persistant struggle with the Soviet Authorities for permission to travel to Israel. In 1972 he finally succeeded in getting there with his sister. Their brother, Boris, died in prison.





Abraham Alpern

Born in 1895 in Vilno, Lithuania, he became an active Zionist, collecting donations in Lithuania, while being one of the “Jewish Fighters of Lithuania Association” leaders. Arrested with his family in 1941, he was exiled to Altaj, Siberia. In 1945 he was arrested repeatedly and finally sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for connections with the American Jewish Congress.He served his sentence in various camps in Jakutija. Succeeded in getting to Israel in 1971





Zalman Azur

Born in 1914 in Otian, Lithuania, he joined the Beitar movement in 1935 and was a member of the governing body and treasurer of the branch, collecting donations for Keren Kayemet & Keren Tel Hai. Arrested in June 1941 by the Soviet Authorities he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in Reshuti near Krasnojarsk. In 1950 he was arrested repeatedly, according to paragraph 58/4, and exiled together with his family to Pihtovka, in the Novosibirsk region. Released in 1958, he moved to Tomsk and, after immense efforts, got to Israel in 1993 with his family.





Shalom Bach

Born in 1927 in Latvia, he joined the Beitar movement in his youth and was a member until the occupation of Latvia by the Red Army, when Zionist movements were closed down. Arrested with his family while attempting to cross the border with Afghanistan in an attempt to reach Palestine, he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment, which he served out in the labour camp in Aktubinsk, after which he was exiled to North Russia. Released in 1957, he continued to struggle against the Authorities and was eventually granted a visa in 1966. He lived in Israel for one year only, dying in 1967.





Leib Arie Baks

Born in 1922 in Kovno, Lithuania, he became a member of Beitar, and of the association El-Al, in his youth. Arrested in 1941 and accused of Zionist activity, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment followed by 8 years of exile. He served this in Atka Tomsk labour camp and later was banished to Krasnojarsk. Released in 1953, he had to wait till 1973 to get to Israel with his family He died in 1985.





Abraham Bartfeld

Born in 1915 in Kolomiya, he joined the Beitar movement in 1933. Arrested in 1941, he was accused of Zionist activity and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. Released in 1946, he continued in his persistant struggle with Soviet authorities for a visa to Israel, which he was unsuccessful in acquiring till 1990.





Herman Leib Baum

Born in 1925 in Riga, Latvia, into a Zionist family, which was banished to Siberia in 1941. Herman and his father were imprisoned in the camp near Solikamsk in the Urals where his father died. In 1942 he moved to the city of Tomsk where he organized Zionist activities. During 1946, he was repeatedly arrested and eventually sentenced to 7 years in a labour camp. After that he was exiled to Siberia and not released till 1959 after 10 years imprisonment in camps and 10 years of exile. He finally got to Israel in 1972 where he died in 1992.





Zelig Belinski

Born in 1918 in Riga, he was a youthful member of the Zionist sports movement, Ha-Koach Maccabi, and, in 1935, became an active member of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair. Arrested in 1941 while attempting to cross the border, he was accused of Zionist activity & high treason. This led to a sentence of 10 years imprisonment. Released in 1951, he embarked on a struggle with the authorities to obtain a visa for Israel. He succeeded in getting there in 1959.





Israel Berg

Born in 1919 in Pshemishl, Poland, he became an active member of the Achva movement in his youth till the beginning of WW2. In 1941 he was mobilized into the Red Army but was arrested as a result of his Zionist and anti-Soviet activity. Initially he was sentenced to death but the verdict was commuted to 10 years imprisonment in labour camps which he served in the Urals. Released in 1948, he got to Israel in 1950.





Benjamin Binder

Born in 1911 in Lithuania, he joined the revisionist movement in the city of Anikshet as a youth. As an active member, he was elected secretary of his local branch. After the Soviet occupation led to the outlawing of Zionist movements, he was arrested, sentenced to 7 years imprisonment followed by 5 years exile in Siberia. Released in 1955, he and his family finally got to Israel in 1969 where he died in July 1994.





Chana Bukimer (Bokser)

Born in 1921 in Rovno, Poland, she became an active member of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair in her youth. During the period of the Soviet occupation, she was active in helping her Zionist friends. As a result of this she was arrested in 1941, sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after which she was exiled to Siberia for 6 years. Released in 1957, she got to Israel in 1958.





Israel Bukimer

Born in 1915 in Ostra, Poland, he was an active member of Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair from 1929 till the beginning of WW2. Arrested in 1941, under Soviet occupation, he was accused of illegal Zionist activities and was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment followed by 8 years exile. Released in 1956, he succeeded in getting to Israel in 1958. He died in 1985.





Zvi Cohen

Born in 1912, in Lithuania, he joined Beitar at an early age. Arrested in 1941, he was accused of Zionist activities and sentenced to 13 years in labour campsfollowed by exile. Freed in 1953, he continued his struggle for a visa to Israel but was unsuccessful until.1971. Died in 1989.





Sofja Dardik

Born in 1910 in Bildi, she joined “Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair” at the age of 16 and was also a member of Tsairei Ha poel, collecting money for Keren Kayemet. Arrested in 1941, she was accused of Zionist activities and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Exiled until 1957, she was finally able to get to Israel in 1970. Died in 1985.





Dina Dilion

Born in 1913 in Kovno Lithuania, she was a Beitar member from 1929 and in 1939 worked with the Beitar leadership in London. In 1941 she was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment with her husband. He died in the labour camp but she returned to Lithuania after her release in 1947 and tried to get permission to go to Erets Israel/Israel. Arrested repeatedly in 1950 and again sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, she was finally released 8 years later and returned to Lithuania from Siberia. After many years of struggle, she got permission to go to Israel in 1965.





Yehezkel Dilion

Born in 1909 in Lithuania, he was one of Beitar’s founding members and held high posts in the movement, both as leader of the Kovno Beitar branch and as leader of Lithuanian Beitar.He published a lot of articles in both the local and the international press and was a graduate of the Marine School of Beitar in Chivitavekkia, Italy. In 1937, appointed as the head of Beitar Administration, he worked in London under Jabotinsky. In 1940, during a visit to Lithuania, he was forbidden to leave and in 1941 he was arrested with his wife and parents. Imprisoned in the Onezhski labour camp near Archangelsk, he died in the camp on the 19th April, 1942.





Volf Dimand

Born in 1989 in Sikoran, Bessarabia, he moved to Erets Israel in 1912 with his father and studied at the agriculture school in Petah Tikva. At the beginning of WW1, he returned to Sikoran with his father but after the Soviet occupation, the whole family was banished to Siberia. Volf continued his Zionist activities and, after being denounced, was arrested in 1942 and imprisoned in a North Siberian camp for 3.5 years. Released in 1957, he remained in Siberia until 1963 because of financial difficulties. He finally succeeded in getting to Israel with his wife in 1973. Died in 1983.



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