Born in 1920 in Kishinev, he was a member of the “Gordonia” movement. Later he became a member of an underground Zionist movement in the city. In 1949 he was arrested and charged with attempting to leave the Soviet Union for Israel, and for participating in the Zionist movement. He was sentenced to a jail term of 10 years. After his release in 1954 he returned to Kishinev and continued his underground activity until 1984, when he was able to fulfill his dream of reaching Israel.