Simcha Holzberg, who was known throughout Israel as “the father of the wounded,” because of his care for and devotion to the wounded and disabled soldiers of the Israel Defense Force, did recently at the age of 69.
Thousands of pople from all walks of life, including President Ezer Weizmann, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Chief Rabbi I.M. Lau, Chief of Staff Ehud Barak and many othe leading personalities, attended the funeral at Jerusalem’s Sanhedria cemetery.
Conspicuous were those in wheelchairs and on crutches – invalids of the Israeli army. They had come to pay their last respects to the man who had greatly helped them and their families.
Prime Minister Rabin, a man not easily given to emotions, eulogized Holzberg with great feeling.
“Simha was a brand plucked from the fire of the Holocaust,” Rabin declared. “The memory of the Holocaust followed him like a shadow. It was the fuel which nourished his love for the state, for the wounded, the disabled and the bereaved families.
“Simha was a soldier of the IDF. His personal identification number was the number of his telephone at him, which one dialed when in need of help. Simha was not a soldier who waited to be called to the colors. He came on his own. He appeared in the corridors of hospitals, in the hallways of operating rooms, and at rehabilitation centers.
“In the name of the thousands whom you offered encouragement in the most difficult hours of their lives, in the name of the thousands who will remember the sweet chocholate you brought them in their most bitter moments; in the name of all the wounded, the disabled and the bereaved families, in the name of the Israel Defense Force, in the name of the State of Israel, I salute you Simha!”
For many many years Holzberg visited the wounded and disabled solders in hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout Israel, carrying with him cakes, chocolates, books and more expensive gifts together with words of solace and encouragement.
I knew him for 30 years. Twice I was privilegd to accompany him on his rounds of mercy in the Hadassah Medical Center of Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.
We visited various wards. The wounded, their relatives, the doctors, nurses and orderlies – all were overjoyed to see Simha. Who didn’t know Simha? His appearance changed the dreary hospital atmosphere. He spoke to the medical personnel; enquired about those who had been discharged since his last visit, and asked about new arrivals. he talked to the patients and their relatives. His friendly face, smiling eyes, and hearty handshake; his gifts, good wishes and words of comfort alleviated the pain of the suffering and cheered the disheartenened.
He also visited others, especially ailing chidren. He became and remained their friend forever. He helped them overcome their disabilities and return to civilian life. Many a time he was their shadhan, arranging their weddings and — needless to say danced at their Simhas. He assisted the newly-wed. He also supported widows and orphans of those who died in the line of duty.
Holzberg was very close to the late Rabbi Aryeh Levin, the “Tzaddik of Jerusalem,” friend and consoler of the Jewish underground fighters who languished in British prisons. Rabbi Aryeh Levin encouraged Holzberg in his mission of mercy and loving kindness. S. Raz relates in his beautiful book about Rabbi Aryeh: Once the rabbi saw Holzberg, carrying a basket filled with goodies for the wounded soldiers. he took the basket and kissed it.
Simhas’s assistance to the wounded, disabled and bereaved were only one aspect of his activities. He served our people on many fronts.
Simha was born in Warsaw. The family’s home was destroyed during a German air raid on the Polish capital soon after the outbreak of World War II. THe family lost all its possessions. During the initial period of the occupation, the Germans didn’t recruit children for forced labor. But young Simha went to work – against payment — in place of others, in order to support the family.
He participated in the Ghetto revolt. Dan Kurzman, who interviewed him for his book, The Bravest Battle, the Twenty-eight Days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, writes abut him:
“Holzberg, a young Orthodox Jew, who always had a small Bible in his pocket, did not belong to any fighting organization, but was one of the wild ones, or independent fighters. He carried a pistol and, with several comrades, made hit-and-run attacks on the SS forces. Before the uprising, he had worked as an orderly in a German army hospital on the Aryan side, where he was able to steal weapons from wounded soldiers.”
After the suppression of the revolt, Holzberg was sent to the concentration camp of Budzyn. From there he was transferred to other camps, finally landing in Bergen Belsen, where he was liberated by the Britsh. In 1949, he settled in Israel.
(Continued next week)
The Jewish Press, Friday, April 15, 1994, page 22