Sara Braverman

Sara Braverman (1918 – 10 February 2013) was a member of the Jewish Parachutists of Mandate Palestine. She was one of the first female fighters to serve in the Palmach and a founding member of the IDF Women's Corps.^[1]

Biography

Sara (Surika) Braverman was born in Botoșani, Romania to a Zionist family. As a 9 years old girl, she joined Hashomer Hatzair and immigrated to Palestine in 1938 and started Agricultural training. She was a member of Kibbutz Shamir.^[2]

Braverman with other Jewish Paratroopers; from right to left, top row: Reuven Dafni, Zadok Doron, Abba Berdichev. Bottom row: Braverman, Arieh Fichman, Haviva Reik

Braverman was one of 37 Palestinian Jewish parachutists sent by the Jewish Agency and Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) on military missions in Nazi-occupied Europe.^[3]^[4]

She was honored with lighting a torch on Israel's 62nd independence day in 2010, for her bravery in helping Jews during World War II.^[5]

^ "Sarah Braverman, 'IDF's First Lady,' Passes Away". Israel National News. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
^ A Brave Fighter 28 February 2013 Jerusalem Post accessed 14 October 2023
^ "Jewish Parachutists from Palestine". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
^ Cosner, Shaaron; Cosner, Victoria (1998). Women under the Third Reich: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-0313303159.
^ "Founder of IDF Women's Army Corps parachuted into Nazi-controlled Europe with Hannah Senesh". The Jerusalem Post. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2013.