Simcha Holtzberg (sometimes spelled Holzberg) (; April 18, 1924 – February 13, 1994) was an Israeli activist and

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

survivor. He was known as the "Father of the Wounded Soldiers," and was a recipient of the

Israel Prize The Israel Prize (; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History Prior to the Israel Prize, the most significant award in the arts was the Dizengoff Prize and in Israel ...

Biography

Holtzberg was born in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland, to Shmuel and Tziporah Holtzberg. He participated in the

Warsaw Ghetto uprising The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the 1943 act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-occupied Poland during World War II to oppose Nazi Germany's final effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to the gas chambers of the ...

, was captured by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

and sent to different concentration camps, and was liberated from

Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen (), or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in Northern Germany, northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, ...

. Holtzberg arrived in Israel in 1949, and became famous for his stubborn struggle against normalizing relations between Israel and Germany. He organized demonstrations every time a high-ranking German official came to Israel. He also established Holocaust libraries and published the poems of the Holocaust poet

Itzhak Katzenelson Itzhak Katzenelson (; also transcribed as ''Icchak-Lejb Kacenelson'', ''Jizchak Katzenelson''; ''Yitzhok Katznelson'') (1 July 1886 – 1 May 1944) was a Polish Jewish teacher, poet and dramatist. He was born in 1886 in Karelichy near Minsk, ...

. He befriended the famous Rabbi

Aryeh Levin Aryeh Levin (; March 22, 1885 - March 28, 1969) was an Orthodox rabbi dubbed the "Father of Prisoners" for his visits to members of the Jewish underground imprisoned in the Central Prison of Jerusalem in the Russian Compound during the Britis ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, known as "Father of the Prisoners". Levine's example influenced Holtzberg's lifetime devotion to wounded

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

, whom he considered "the nation's holy and righteous". Holtzberg became known in Israel as "Father of the Wounded Soldiers". He dedicated his life to visiting and helping wounded-in-service soldiers and terrorism victims in Israel. His aim was to restore the wounded to normal lives and enable them to return to society successfully. In 1976, Holtzberg was awarded the

, for his special contribution to society and the State of Israel.

Death

Holtzberg died during a ceremony held in honor of the wounded on February 13, 1994. He is buried in the

Sanhedria Cemetery Sanhedria Cemetery () is a 27-dunam (6.67-acre) Jewish burial ground in the Sanhedria neighborhood of Jerusalem, adjacent to the intersection of Levi Eshkol Boulevard, Shmuel HaNavi Street, and Bar-Ilan Street. Unlike the Mount of Olives and ...

in Jerusalem. The

Israel Philatelic Federation The Israel Philatelic Federation is an association whose purpose is to nurture and promote philately in Israel. Introduction The Israel Philatelic Federation, which later became affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie ( ...

issued a stamp in his honor on April 19, 1999, the 75th anniversary of his birth, showing his portrait and a legend stating "Father of the Wounded Soldiers". Dozens of streets in Israel are named in his honor, including one in

Pisgat Ze'ev Pisgat Ze'ev (, lit. ''Ze'ev's Peak'') is an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem and the largest residential neighborhood in Jerusalem with a population of over 50,000. Pisgat Ze'ev was established by Israel as one of the city's five Ring Neig ...

, Jerusalem.

References

External links

Stamp in his honor

Media

* Documentary Film made by IDF Spokesman: .
Film
about Holtzberg and the young girl who were injured during the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

Biography

Death

References

External links

Media

See also