- Enzo Sereni
Enzo Sereni (
17 April 1905 –18 November 1944 ) was an ItalianZionist , co-founder of kibbutzGivat Brenner , scholar, advocate ofJew ish-Arab co-existence and a resistance fighter who was parachuted into Nazi-occupied Italy inWorld War II , captured by the Germans and executed inDachau concentration camp .Sereni was born in
Rome . His father was physician to theKing of Italy . He grew up in an assimilated household but became a Zionist as a teenager and was one of the first Italian Zionists. After obtaining his PhD. from the University of Rome, he madealiyah to Mandate Palestine in 1927. He worked in the orange groves in Rehovot and soon helped found kibbutz Givat Brenner. As he was an enthusiastic socialist, Sereni was also active in theHistadrut trade union. He was a pacifist who advocated co-existence with the Arabs and integration of Jewish and Arab society.Sereni was sent to Europe in 1931-1934 to help bring people to Palestine through the Youth
Aliyah , and was arrested briefly by theGestapo . He helped to organize the Hechalutz movement in Nazi Germany and was also involved in helping to smuggle money and people out of Germany. Sereni was also sent to theUnited States to help organize the Zionist movement there. During World War II, he joined the British Army, and was involved n disseminating anti-fascist propaganda inEgypt . The British sent him toIraq , and Sereni spent part of his time organizing clandestine aliyah. Sereni got in trouble with his British superior officers for his Zionist views and was imprisoned briefly for forging passports.Sereni then helped organize the parachute unit of the British
Special Operations Executive (SOE) that sent agents into occupied Europe. Of about 250 volunteer trainees, about 110 were selected for training, and 33 were actually parachuted into Europe, including Sereni, despite his relatively advanced age. On 15 May 1944 he was parachuted into Northern Italy but was captured immediately. According to records, he was shot in Dachau concentration camp on 18 November 1944. Other famous martyrs who parachuted into Europe with this unit includeHannah Szenes andHaviva Reik . KibbutzNetzer Sereni is named after him.Sereni wrote several books and numerous articles.
External references
* [http://www.zionism-israel.com/bio/biography_enzo_sereni.htm Biography of Enzo Sereni] Zionism-Israel
* [http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/Parachutists.htm Zionist Parachutists in World War II] Zionism-Israel
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