English / Hebrew

Hans Weissbrod (1921-2000)

Hans was born in 1921 in Germany and spent his late teen years under the Nazi regime. He was expelled from his high school studies and eventually had to separate from his family. In the year 1938 he immigrated to Israel alone at the age of 17. He was a lonely man with no family and no supporting party. Hand had to navigate his way on his own, in a new country without knowing the language. He learned one year one in a professional school in Haifa.

In June 1940 he recruited to the British air corp to fight the Nazis, which eliminated his entire family.

During 1940-1943 he served in Egypt, in the British air corp, as a plane electrician. In the year 1943 he joined a flight course in Rodesia, in a group of 20 Isrealy (Palestianias at the time) flight attendants, among them Ezer Weitzman. Afterwards Hans was sent to South Africa to train as a bomber navigator in the bombing planes. After graduating he served in Flight 334 which base was in Italy. At the end of 6 years service he was released from the British air corp. In 1948 he joined the Israely air corp and was listed among its founders. He served in Flight 69 during the entire Liberation War. After which he was put in charge of activating the bombing and transportation planes in the corp.

During the flight course in Rodesia he had become friends with flight attendant Ezer Weitzman. When they came back to Israel, it was Ezer who invited him to be his house member in his parents' house in Haifa. This house was used by him for the first time as a warm home and a family, which was much missed by him.

With the end of his service in the air corp in the year 1950 he joined "El Al" and worked in it for 31 years, as a commercial manager and a dispatcher. Abroad Hans was stationed in England, in Austria and in Iran. In the 60s there was no official embassy in Taharan, but the rule recognized the special position of the "El Al" representative headed by Hans. His trusted, credible and friendly personality made him a requested personality, when he was invited into official benefits of the goverment.

In the year 1963 he came back to Israel and then volunteered to the "Commision For The Soldier" and worked by its workspace for 3 years. As a pensioner and in his love for plants, he devoted a part of his time to nurture his home's garden and flowers, which responded to his love with their beautiful blossom. In addition, he devoted a large potion of his time to help raising his beloved grandchildren.

Hans, who was a lonely child in his teen years, with no family in Israel, much valued the friendship ties he developed in all of his works.

Hans was diagnosed with the Western Nyle Fever. He struggled it with all his heart and almost defeated it, yet this awful desease caused complications in his body systems and 4 months of suffering and agony his life's fuse was extinguished.

He has dedicated his body to science.


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