The Untold Story of Hannah Senesh - with Matti Friedman

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What do we owe the stories of people who sacrificed everything, even when they did not succeed?
As Israel approaches Yom Hazikaron after two and a half years of war, Dan speaks with author and journalist Matti Friedman about one of the most iconic and least understood stories in Israeli history: the parachutists of 1944. At the center is Hannah Senesh, whose name became synonymous with courage, even though the mission itself failed in military terms.
Purchase Matti’s book here (amazon.com/Out-Sky-Untold-Heroism-Rebirth/dp/1…).
In this episode:
02:40 – The real story behind Hannah Senesh and the parachutists of 1944
06:20 – The 1944 parachutist mission
08:40 – How Israel turned this mission into a national myth
14:10 – Why the mission had no clear or achievable objective
17:00 – How the parachutists understood their role as shaping a future story
27:20 – What Hannah Senesh’s life and death reveal about sacrifice
29:00 – Why the parachutists chose to act despite knowing they would likely fail
32:10 – What this story offers Israelis after October 7
This episode is sponsored by the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization. Learn more and support their work at idfwo.org/en.
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo