Born in 1921 in Daugavpils, Latvia, he was the secretary of the Zionist youth movement “Folksheim” from 1935 to 1940. After the Soviet occupation he went underground and continued his activities even after WWII. Arrested in 1947 on charges of Zionist activities and the organization of helping Jews from the Soviet Union to escape to Eretz Israel. Sentenced by the tribunal of the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) to 10 years imprisonment plus 5 years in exile, he served his time in Omsk and in Karaganda. Released in 1955 he still had to wait till 1990 to get to Israel.
