Born in 1922 in Ionits, Poland, to a Zionist family, he joined the “Beitar” movement at an early age and diligently raised money for the Zionist funds “Keren Kayemet” and “Keren HaYesod”. After WWII, he joined a group of Jews in Baranovichy which was preparing to flee Soviet Union illegally for Eretz Israel. Arrested in 1947 on charges of Zionist subversive activity, he was sentenced by OSO to 10 years of imprisonment in the Gulag. He served his time in Inta, Komi ASSR till he was released in 1954 on probation and in 1960 went to Israel together with his family.