Raphael was a member of the movement from childhood. He was a prominent activist in the Zionist underground in Romania and a member of the central council of “Hanoar Hatzioni”. In the summer of 1944 Raphael operated in Arad, a border town on the Romanian side of the border where he met and took care of the Jewish refugees who crossed the border from Hungary. Raphael himself crossed the border into Hungary many times in order to organize the smuggling of Jews. He helped the refugees to reach the city so they would not fall into the hands of the authorities and not be returned to Hungary. Thanks to his personality Raphael made connections with the Romanian authorities so that the absorption of the refugees would be carried out as planned and he encouraged the Jews of Arad to help the fugitives. Thanks to the escape operation thousands of Jews arrived in Romania and from there they continued their journey to Eretz Israel (Palestine). After the war Raphael engaged in giving assistance to the remains of the Jewish communities in Transylvania. In 1945 and 1946 he lived in Hungary and again helped refugees to reach Eretz Israel (Palestine).
Raphael made aliya in 1947. He lived in Bnei Brak.
