Survived the Holocaust, founded a kibbutz and built the country: Eli Mandel passed away at the age of 104
Mandel was sent to a forced labor camp, escaped, was caught and imprisoned. After the war, he immigrated to Israel and was one of the founders of Kibbutz Mivki'im, worked until the age of 93, and dedicated his later years to passing on the memory of the Holocaust to the younger generation.
Eli Mandel, one of the prominent representatives of the revival generation and the oldest Holocaust survivors in Israel, passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy of determination, Zionism, and the victory of the spirit. Mandel, who celebrated his 100th birthday with a deep aspiration to see the revival of the people in their land, dedicated his final decades to social activity and the education of the younger generation.
Mandel was born in March 1922 in the city of Târgu Mureș in Transylvania (Romania). At the age of 14, he joined the "HaNoar HaTzioni" movement, and during the first steps of the war, he assisted in the absorption of Jewish refugees. With the region's transition to Hungarian control, he was sent to a forced labor camp in Komárno, Slovakia.
In 1944, his family members were gathered for trains sent to extermination camps. Mandel managed to escape from the labor camp, was caught and imprisoned in Budapest, but was released thanks to the activities of the pioneer underground and found shelter in the "Glass House."
Aliyah and Immigration
At the end of the war, he located his sister who had survived, met Eva, who later became his wife, and together the two moved to Italy as part of the Jewish Brigade's activities. In 1948, they immigrated to Israel, and upon their arrival in the country, Mandel was one of the founders of Kibbutz Mivki'im in the south. Later, he worked for decades at the Agricultural Research Organization (Volcani Institute), and after his retirement, he continued to work in the industry until he reached the age of 93.
In his later years, he became a central figure in the "Amcha" association club in Rehovot. In this framework, he dedicated his time to direct meetings with students and teenagers, participated in "Testimony Theater" projects, and made sure to pass on the legacy of memory and hope to future generations.
Eli Mandel left behind an extensive family, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, alongside a personal example of the victory of life and leaving a deep mark on the building of the state. May his memory be blessed.
