Born in 1921 in Priluki, to a Zionist family, which observed Jewish traditions and moved to Moscow, in 1932, to get legal permission to go to Palestine, only to have their request denied. He was conscripted into the Red Army, participated in WW2, was wounded and also decorated for bravery .He continued his Zionist activity in the army, among his friends, and participated in an underground Zionist organization in Moscow after the war. He was arrested in 1950 and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in high security camps. Released in 1955, he continued his Zionist activity. Not till 1971 did he get to Israel.