Schweitzer

Submitted by Liran and Yossi Zinger 

Zvi Schweitzer z”l :

Zvi was born on April 1st, 1919. His father, Abraham had a large upholstery business. His mother, Zipporah was a housewife and brought-up their four children: Josef z”l, Zvi z”l, Sima z”l and Shmuel z”l. Except for Josef and Zvi (both passed away in Israel), the entire family perished in the holocaust. Zvi had a happy childhood and spent much of his time in the mountains and forests in the area. He used to ski in the Carpathian Mountains.

Zvi was drafted into the army at the age of 18 and the war started while he was in service. He fled to Russia and never saw his large family again, who all (except for his brother Josef) perished in the holocaust. In Russia he endured many hardships and did hard labour until the end of the war. In Russia he met Zipporah and they were married.

Zipporah Schweitzer z”l:

Zipporah z”l was born on August 1st, 1919 in Włocławek, Poland and grew-up in a traditional but not orthodox home. Both her parents were religious and observant.

Her father, Bezalel owned a well-known bakery in Drohobycz. Her mother, Golda was a housewife and raised her seven children: Shaul z”l, Israel z”l, Zipporah z”l, Frieda z”l, Hersch z”l and Moshe z”l. Zipporah belonged to a youth movement of Ahdut HaAvoda. At the beginning of the war, when she was 18, Zipporah fled to Russia with her two older brothers. Their plan was to bring the rest of the family to join them. Unfortunately that plan was not to be. The entire family (except for Shaul and Zipporah who passed away in Israel) perished in the holocaust. Zipporah worked very hard in Russia – in coal mines, construction, plastering and digging and became ill. But she overcame all these obstacles, met and married Zvi.

In 1946 Zvi and Zipporah immigrated to Israel and lived in kibbutz Ein Shemer where their eldest daughter Zehava z”l was born. Zvi served in the Palmach and then the Haganah. He fought in the Negev, protecting the kibbutzim and then in the “Chayot Hanegev” (“The Negev Beasts”) battalion under Yigal Allon and Itzhak Sadeh. He also fought in the Iraq Suwaydan operation.

Zvi and Zipporah left kibbutz Ein Shemer and moved to kibbutz Ruhama in the Negev, but were not happy there and moved to Tel Aviv –Yafo. Their second daughter Bracha z”l was born in Yafo.

Zvi passed away on April 13th, 2004 and Zipporah passed away on September 6th, 2004.

Zehava Bekun-Schweitzer z”l:

Zehava z”l was born on August 4th, 1947 in kibbutz Ein Shemer and grew-up in Yafo where she had a happy childhood. She was a painter and artist. Zehava married Moshe Bakun and they had three children. Zehava passed away at a young age on July 2nd, 1996 and did not live to see her grandchildren.

Bracha Zinger-Schweitzer z”l:

Bracha z”l was born on November 28th, 1950 in the Hadassah hospital in Tel-Aviv. She studied painting/drawing in the Avni institute and worked in a ceramics plant for 16 years. Bracha married Yossi Zinger and they had four children: Moran, Shiran z”l, Itamar and Liran. Bracha passed away on February 20th, 2015.