Hannah Szenes
Hannah Szenes | |
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Szenes in 1939 | |
| Born | July 17, 1921 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | 7 November 1944 (aged 23) Budapest, Hungary |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Resting place | Mount Herzl, Israel |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1938–1944 |
| Known for | Jewish parachutist with SOE; author of Eli, Eli |
| Parents |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1944 |
| Unit | Special Operations Executive |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Website | hannahsenesh |
Hannah Szenes (often anglicized as Hannah Senesh or Chanah Senesh; Hebrew: חנה סנש; Hungarian: Szenes Anna; 17 July 1921 – 7 November 1944) was a Hungarian-born poet, playwright, and resistance operative trained by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). In 1944, she was one of 37 Jewish volunteers from Mandatory Palestine parachuted into occupied Europe to support Allied efforts and help rescue Jews facing deportation.
After crossing into Hungary from Yugoslavia, she was captured by Hungarian gendarmes, imprisoned, and tortured but refused to reveal mission details. She was later tried for treason by a court under the fascist Arrow Cross regime and executed in Budapest.
Szenes is remembered in Israel as a national heroine, known for her poetry and for her actions during the Holocaust. Her most famous poem, A Walk to Caesarea ("Eli, Eli"), is frequently recited in commemorations. In Hungary, her legacy has been slower to gain recognition, though she was officially exonerated in 1993.