Groll

The annual memorial meeting - remembering those who passed away in 2019 – 2020. The meeting was held via Zoom on December 24th, 2020.
The information was submitted by his daughter Yonat Effrat.

Lushek Groll, son of David and Shshana Groll.
Lushek z”l was born on December 6th, 1920 in Drohobycz. He passed away on January 3th, 2020 in Kibbutz Merhavia.
Lushek was very active in the HaShomer HaTzair movement in Poland. In 1938, when he was seventeen, he made Aliyah all by himslef. His older brother Meshulam arrived in Israel two years earlier.
He met his wife of 62 years, Rachel, through a photo. An envoy of Kibbutz Merhavia arrived in Poland and showed a photo of Hachshara members (Hachshara literally means “preparation” – used in conjunction with training programs for kibbutz life), who were headed for the kibbutz. Among those members was a photo of young Rachel – the first daughter of Kibbutz Merhavia. Lushek fell immediately in love with Rachel. He arrived in the kibbutz and married her.
During WW2 Lushek joined the British army as part of the Hativa Yehudit Lo'hemet (Jewish Fighting Brigade) which fought in Italy.
During the War of Independence, the kibbutz was attacked by Iraqi bombers. Lushek shot them using a special machine gun, protecting the kibbutz.
Lushek worked in a variety of jobs in the kibbutz. He studied economics, earned a Ph.D., and taught for many years at the Haifa University and Yizrael Valley College.
He loved the cooperative way of life in the kibbutz. Until his last days he mourned the fact that the kibbutz was privatized, and the cooperative life was diminished.
Rachel and Lushek had three children: Yedidya, Vardit z”l and Yonat.
Lushek is buried next to his beloved wife Rachel. At his request, the two graves were joined and a single tombstone covers both.
May his memory be a blessing.

Submitted by Lushek Groll; Interviewed by Dr. Zvika Reiter 2016

Lushek was born in Drohobycz in 1920. His parents were David and Roza-Shoshana z”l. He had an older brother, Meshulam – Mundek.
Lushek immigrated to Israel in 1938 and enrolled in the Mikveh Israel agricultural school following his brother’s footsteps.
His parents were murdered in the Shoah. His mother in Treblinka and his father was shot in Drohobycz.
In 1942 Lushek enlisted and joined the infantry unit of the British army which later on became the Jewish Brigade. With the Brigade Lushek moved to Egypt and then to Italy, where they fought the German army on two fronts.
After the cease fire the Brigade engaged in transportation of Jewish refugees from Dachau and Bergen-Belsen camps in Germany and from Mauthausen camp in Austria to a temporary camp in Italy and from there to Israel.
Lushek lives in Kibbutz Merhavia. He studied Economics at the Hebrew University where he received his undergradute and graduate degrees. He received his Ph.D. in Paris. He was an economics lecturer at the Haifa University.
Lushek and his late wife Rachel (Ya’ari) Z’L had two children – Yonat Ofir and Yedidiah Ya’ari.

An interview with Lushek Groll for the Dor Tashah (The Generation of 1948) project.
Toldot Israel Organization
Interviewed and filmed: Peleg Levy
Nov. 10th, 2015
on Nov. 11th, 2015
Watch the interview

Luszek's photos collected by his daughter, Yonat Ofir

Luszek and Rachel in Egypt. Rachel visited Luszek while he was serving in the Jewish Brigade
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Luszek and his elder brother, Meszulam
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Luszek's family: Father, Mother, Grandmother and both brothers
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Rachel and Luszek Groll
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Luszek Groll
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