Lea Gárdos

GARDOS LEA

Tischler Friderika

Born in Hajdudorog on 10.5.1919

Member of “Hashomer Hatzair”

Lea joined “Hashomer Hatzair” at the age of sixteen. She lived in Budapest from 1940 and took part in the activities of the movement. In 1942 she met her future husband, Johanan.
Upon his arrival in Eretz Israel (Palestine), Johanan, who made aliya in a legal way escorting a group of adolescents who had received the authorization to leave Hungary, gave her name and address to Menahem Bader. Her name was given because due to the movement’s illegality it could not have an official address. From then on Lea served as an address for the transfer of money and letters to the movement. She gave forged documents to comrades in the forced labour units.
In the summer of 1944 Lea left Hungary equipped with an authentic Bulgarian passport and sailed to Eretz Israel (Palestine) on the “Bulbul”. She joined Kibbutz Ha’ogen and has been a member ever since.