Menahem Knapp

Knapp Menahem

Knapp Béla Menáhem

Born in Érsekújvár (Nové Zámky) on 2.7.1924

Died on 14.4.2009 in Israel

Member of “Hashomer Hatzair”

Menahem came from a religious Jewish family, studied at high school and in a yeshiva. In April 1944, about a month after the Germans invaded Hungary, he was enlisted in a forced labor camp where Anti Livni and Yitzhak Steiner were also serving. Menahem received forged documents from “Hashomer Hatzair” members so that he could escape when ready to. On his way from the forced labor camp to another one he got on a tramway with forged documents in his pocket. On the tram he was recognized by a man from his hometown who was wearing the fascist Arrow Cross party uniform and wanted to arrest him. Menahem managed to jump off the tramway and escape. He arrived in the “Glass House” on 29, Vadász Street and from there he was sent on various missions to distribute forged documents, obtain food and clothes. Many times he was about to be caught but thanks to his presence of mind and luck he always managed to avoid being arrested and continued his activities. A Hungarian officer from his former forced labor unit arrived in the “Glass House” and gave him Swiss Protection Documents for the whole unit thanks to which all the men were taken back to Budapest from the German border.
Menahem was a member of Kibbutz Yassur.