Remembering Hannah Senesh

Dear Editor:

Friday, November 7, 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the murder of Hannah Senesh at the hands of her fascist captors. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if temples and synagogues all across the globe could dedicate their Shabbat Eve services to memorializing this marvelous young woman?

She not only embodied bravery, patriotism and loyalty to both her comrades in arms and the Jewish people, she left behind a corpus of poetry and song lyrics that have enriched us for decades. Imagine the joy the heavenly hosts would feel if the whole House of Israel were to join in singing אלי, אלי. It might serve as reminder that there is more that binds us together as the Jewish People than separates us as individual Jews. “Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.”

Mitchell A. Levin (“This Day in Jewish History”)

Cedar Rapids, Iowa