Jewish History - Europe - General & Miscellaneous, World War II - Social Aspects, European Theater - World War II - Invasion & Occupation, Immigration & Emigration - Middle East
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Overview
Blind Jump is the story of the amazing exploits of Shaike Dan. During World War II, Shaike Dan volunteered to parachute behind enemy lines in Romania on behalf of British Intelligence. His jump had two objectives: to locate the prison camp where 1,400 Allied Air Force crewman, downed when bombing the Ploesti oil fields in Romania, were being held, and also to find ways to get them out of Romania so that they could go back into action and resume their contribution to the war effort. The second objective was to try to rescue Jews from Eastern Europe and get them to Palestine. There were thirty-two volunteer parachutists from Palestine. Some of them parachuted into Yugoslavia, linked up with partisan forces, and stole across frontiers with the help of local smugglers. Many of these volunteers were caught and some of them never returned. Shaike Dan decided on a "blind jump," so as not to have to rely on the help of smugglers. Immediately after he parachuted directly into Romania, he got to work on the mission he had undertaken. Ever since that first jump, Shaike Dan's life has been a series of "blind jumps." Through the friends he made during the war, who over the years became key figures in the security services of Eastern Europe, he had access to the highest levels of the regimes in the Communist East. Thus began his remarkable career of rescuing Jews behind the Iron Curtain, an endeavor that continued almost up to the very present. The story of Shaike Dan's life and work is filled with incredible events and deeds, owing to Shaike's dedications, his resourcefulness, and his original way of viewing matters. Until recently, Shaike Dan's name and deeds were kept secret. With the publication of the story of his life, the curtain goes up on the astounding tale of a modern-day Pimpernel.Editorials
Library Journal
In 1935, youthful Zionist Shaike Dan left his Romanian village for life on a Palestinian kibbutz. Almost a decade later, at British request, he parachuted behind Nazi lines to rescue prisoners and facilitate the mass departure of East European Jews for the Promised Land. Relying primarily on Dan's own words and recollections, the author then turns to post-war Israel, where his subject's contacts, chutzpah, and organizational legerdemain became crucial in supplying the emerging nation with both population and weaponry. Unfortunately, this biography's excessive length, numerous digressions, and irritating repetitions detract from the drama inherent in Dan's life. For comprehensive collections.--Mark R. Yerburgh, Fern Ridge Community Lib., Veneta, Ore.Book Details
Published
September 30, 1992
Publisher
New York : Cornwall Books, c1992.
Pages
389
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780845348345