April 17th marks the 62nd anniversary of Israel becoming a sovereign state in 1948. In honor of this occasion, I'd like to post a poem I recently heard.
Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.
Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.
Blessed is the heart with strength to stop its beating for honor’s sake.
Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.
—Hannah Senesh, written days before her capture by the Nazis
Although Hannah Senesh, pictured here with her brother in 1943, is considered one of Israel's most beloved heroes, the rest of the world knows very little about her. Born in Hungary, Senesh was a gifted poet and early on in life joined a Zionist movement to help establish a Jewish State in Israel. During World War II, bravely, she joined the Israeli army in an effort to save fellow Hungarian Jews taken by the Nazis. After parachuting behind enemy lines, she and her fellow Israeli soldiers were taken prisoners, interrogated, and eventually executed.
This is only a simple summary of what I know about Hannah Senesh. If you'd like to learn more, feel free to click on the following links: wikipedia, Zionism-Israel, or Jewishmag.
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