“Blessed is the Match”
The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
By Zanna Linskaia
While Hannah Senesh is an Israeli hero, her life and death remain almost unknown to the world. Her name was first mentioned in the 1988 movie Hannah’s War, co-written and directed by Menahem Golan. Based on the diaries of Hannah Senesh and a novel by Yoel Palgi, the film tells the real story of a schoolgirl with talent and a passion for poetry.
Facing antisemitism in Hungary, Hannah left her mother and family in Budapest to work on a kibbutz in what was then called Palestine. She was recruited for a perilous mission and trained as a paratrooper.
Sent to Europe, her goal was to rescue Hungarian Jews who were at risk of being deported to death camps. However, Hannah was captured, tortured, and ultimately executed by the Nazis.
The film did not receive favourable reviews, while Blessed is the Match (Ashrei HaGafrur) the first documentary about Hannah Senesh, found greater success. Produced, directed, and released by Roberta Grossman in 2009, it garnered more attention and acclaim.
The filmmaker used Hannah’s high school diaries, photos, and letters to her mother, Catharine, to reveal the character of a brave, smart, and talented young girl. In 1944, at age 22, Hannah joined a rescue mission in Europe. After parachuting into Hungary, she was captured by the Gestapo and taken to jail. She was heavily beaten and tortured to extract information. Her mother was taken as a prisoner along with Hannah in an attempt to save her daughter. After a few days, Hannah was executed by the Nazis, refusing to reveal the details of her mission.
The documentary brings Hannah to life through interviews with survivors who knew her—classmates at school in Budapest, members of the kibbutz where she lived, two parachutists from her team, and prisoners who were jailed alongside her at the Gestapo. Letters from the family archive show the sincere connection between mother and daughter, connected with a strong love and devotion to each other.
In 1942, Hannah wrote the poem “Eli, Eli...” which later expressed her heroic motivation to sacrifice her own life. Another poem, “Blessed is the Match,” gave the documentary its title and continues to inspire generations. In 1950, Hannah’s remains were brought to Israel from Hungary and buried in the military cemetery in Jerusalem.
Her diaries, poems, letters, and plays have various publications.
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