Prisoners of Zion. 1941, page 5.






Tsipora Rubinstein

Born in 1920 in Rovno, Poland, she was a pupil, and later a tutor in �Gordonia�. In 1938-39 she participated in Aliyah training in Lodz but at the beginning of the German occupation, she returned to Rovno and there continued illegal Zionist activities. Arrested by the Soviet authorities in 1941, she was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. Released in 1946, while trying to escape to Erets Israel, she was arrested by the British authorities and sent to Cyprus. In 1947 she eventually got to Palestine.





Shimon Shapira

Born in 1914 in Ukmerge, Lithuainia, he was an active member of both Beitar and Tsachar. For 3 years was a military commander in Beitar and an elections organizer to the Zionist Histadrut Congress. He tried to get to Erets Israel but couldn�t get a certificate. He taught in the Tarbut Secondary School. Arrested in 1941, he was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment which he served in Jakutiya. Released in 1957, she finally got to Israel in 1966.





Yakov Shelter

Born in 1908 in Poland, he was an active Zionist from childhood. A member of �Gordonia� from 1933-1939, he was also editor and publisher of Dej Vah Zionist weekly. Arrested in Ashkhabad in 1941, accused of attempting to cross the USSR-Iran border, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment which he served in Ural labour camps. Released in 1956, he got to Israel in 1966. Died in 1976.





Yakov Sher

Born in 1913 in Ligmian, Lithuania, he became an active member of Beitar and was the local Otijan branch commander till WW2 started. Arrested in 1941, he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and lifelong Siberian exile. He served his sentence in the Siberia and the Povolgje labour camps. Freed in 1957, he got to Israel in 1966.





Eliezer Shimberg

Born in 1910 in Lithuania, 1924-1929 he was one of the central figures in Histadrut Maccabi in Pilbishek and Mazusheik during 1924 to 1929. From 1929-1939 he became a member of Beitar. Arrested in 1941, he was exiled to Siberia but managed to get to Israel in 1971.





Abraham Shorts

Born in 1913 in Zizmorai, Lithuania, he was one of the founders of the local Beitar branch and its commander till 1940. Arrested in 1941, he was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment followed by exile in Siberia. He served his sentence on the Belomoro-Baltijski Channel construction and in the Onezhski labour camp. Freed in 1947, he got to Israel in 1949.





Mordehai Shtein

Born in 1926 in Bukovina, he became an active member of �Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair�. In 1941 he was exiled to Siberia, making his escape in 1946. In 1947, however, he crossed the Romanian border in an attempt to get to Erets Israel. Arrested by the Romanian authorities, he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. Released in 1951, he continued his Zionist activities and distributed literature about Israel, also, himself writing a book �Socialism or Zionizm� Arrested for the third time in1958, he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. He spent 5 years in exile & 5.5 years in prison. In 1969 his dream was realised and he finally got to Israel.





Gregory Shtemler

Born in 1905 in Lithuania, he became an active member of Poalei Zion in Kovno, where he organized groups of illegal emigration from the USSR via Iran to Erets Israel. Arrested in1941, he was sent to various labour camps in Siberia for 8 years and 4 months. Freed in 1949, it took him until 1986 to get to Israel.





Abraham (Abrasha) Shtukarevich

Born in 1914 in Trakai, Lithuania, he joined Beitar at the age of 15 and very soon became local branch commander. Moving to Kovno in 1933 to study jurisprudence, he soon became commander of the Kovno branch of Beitar and was elected one of the leaders of the Lithuanian Beitar movement. Mobilized into the Lithuanian army in 1938, he was arrested on 14 June 1941 like many other Zionists and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment which he served in the North Ural labour camp. After his arrest, his wife, Masha, was exiled to Siberia. Returning to Vilno in 1946, he was rearrested repeatedly during 1948, accused of Zionist activities and espionage for Israel. Sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, he spent 2 years in prison in Moscow and was later sent to the Karaganda labour camp. His wife Masha was also arrested and sentenced to many years of imprisonment and exile. In 1956 they were both freed and returned to Vilno. In 1969 they finally reached Israel. Abrasha died in Jerusalem on November 28th, 1987.



Masha Shtukarevich

Born in 1920 in Lithuania, she became a member of �Ha-Shomer Ha-Tsair�. In 1941 she was arrested, together with her husband, and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and exile. She was released in 1946 only to be rearrested repeatedly in 1948, accused of being the accomplice of an Israeli spy. Her little daughter had to live with her grandfather because of her parents� arrests. In 1951 Masha was granted amnesty as a young mother but was exiled to Barnaul (Altaj) till 1956. In 1969 the family finally reached Israel.





Pinhas Smikun

Born in 1909 in Taleneshti, Bessarabia, he studied in the Kishinev yeshiva and later in the �Magen David� gymnasium. An active participator in �Gordonia� in Kishinev, he worked also in Keren Kayemet & Keren Ha-Yesod. In 1933-36 he taught Jewish orphans in Kishinev, 8 of whom later got to Erets Israel. From 1936, till the Soviet occupation, he worked in Bucharest as the representative of Keren Kayemet in Romania but was arrested in 1941 and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. In 1946 he was exiled to the village of Tigur, in Siberia, where his wife joined him. During 1950, Pinchas was rearrested repeatedly, being eventually sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Released in 1956, he got to Israel in 1966. Died in 1970.





Mordehai Starobin

Born in 1925 in Riga, Latvia, he was a member of Beitar until being arrested in 1941, accused of Zionist activities and being sent to the Solikamsk labour camp. In 1943 was exiled to Novosibirsk and later to Tomsk. Returning to Riga in 1946, he continued his Zionist activities, helping to Riga�s Jews get to Israel. He, himself only got a visa to go to Israel in 1972.





Shmuel Taktash

Born in 1892, he was a member of Poalei Zion in Vilno. In 1930 he became a director of the Lithuanian section of �Intourist�, and was thus able, from 1939 to1941.to help transfer Jews to Erets Israel via the USSR. Arrested in Middle Asia, in 1941, he was accused of organizing illegal emigration and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment in various Kazahstan labour camps. He eventually reached Israel in 1965. Died in 1982.





Shalom Tsarkis

Born in 1904 in Bruchani, Bessarabia, he was the 1922-1940 �Hitachdut� party Chairman in his native town between 1922 and 1940. After the Soviet occupation he was forbidden to work as an advocate and in 1941 was exiled to Siberia where in 1951 he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. In 1955 he was given an additional year of exile. Freed in 1956, he struggled to obtain a visa to Israel until successful in 1971. Died in 1986.





Israel Tsemah

Born in 1921 in Rezekne, Latvia, he was a memberof Beitar from an early age. Arrested in 1941 he was accused of high treason and attempted illegal emigration. Sentenced to 10 years imprisonment followed by 5 years exile, he served his sentence in the Daglag, Unginski, Mineralni Osobi and Krasnojarski labour camps. Released in 1956, he had to wait till 1971 before being allowed to go to Israel.





Beniamin Tsukerman

Born in 1915 in Vitebsk, Russia, he joined Beitar at the age of 13 and, until 1940, was an instructor, a local branch commander and an officer in the Beitar leadership of Latvia. Arrested in 1941, he was accused of Zionist activities and teaching Hebrew and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, followed by 6 years exile to Krasnojarsk region. Freed in 1957, he was unable to get to Israel until 1975.





Naomi Tsukerman

Born in 1921 in Riga, Latvia, to a Zionist family she became chairman of the Zionist Youth movement �Gliliya�. Exiled to Siberia in 1941, she was arrested in 1949 and accused of Israeli propaganda. Sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in Mordovia and the Siberian labour camps, she was released in 1956 but was unable to get to Israel until 1975.





Zeev Tsukerman

Born in 1919 in Lublin, Poland, he was a member of the Young Zionists� movement. Arrested in 1941, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment followed by 5 years exile which he served in Nignij Tagil, Dgezkazgan, Dilinak, Krasnojarsk etc�. Not freed till 1955, he succeeded in getting to Israel in 1957.




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