Arieh Handler, who died this week at 95, was the last Holocaust survivor present at the signing of Israel’s declaration of independence. He helped Jews escape Germany and was one of the founders of the Bnei Akiva youth movement and of British Mizrachi.
Jonny Lipczer, former head of Bnei Akiva in the UK and head of the British desk at World Bnei Akiva writes a personal tribute:
Arieh was my hero. I felt blessed to have known him, and I considered him amongst my closest friends. He knew what it meant to be a leader. He led by example, and he inspired thousands.
Arieh was the reason so many people went to Israel to build the country and to lead the country. Sixty-three years ago, the State of Israel was declared by David Ben Gurion in a hall in Tel Aviv. Arieh was there. The invitation he received to the gathering remained one of his most cherished possessions, which he was always so excited to show people.
Arieh dedicated his life to the Jewish state and the Jewish people, and continued to do so until his final days. From rescuing dozens of children from Nazi Germany, to establishing Bnei Akiva in the United Kingdom, Arieh always had one aim – to look after the future of the Jewish nation.
Whenever I could, I brought young members of Bnei Akiva to meet with him. I felt it was an enormous privilege for them to meet the person responsible for our amazing movement. They listened in awe as he told them what it felt like to stand with Ben Gurion when Israel's independence was declared.
Even when he was in his 90s, his lively youthfulness enabled the younger members of Bnei Akiva to relate to him. From standing on his chair and signing at National Weekend, to sharing stories about Hachshara, the youth considered him to be one of them!
He always put Bnei Akiva first. He was even late for his own wedding, because he wanted to pop into the movement's conference which was taking place on the same day. In recent years, there hasn't been a major Bnei Akiva event at which tribute wasn't paid to him. Ironically, he missed the dinner arranged in honor of his 90th birthday – only because he moved permanently back to Israel just a few weeks earlier.
For the hundreds of thousands whose lives have been enhanced by "the movement" – as he affectionately referred to Bnei Akiva – they have one man to thank. Arieh Handler will be missed tremendously by those who knew him, and by those who didn't. Today's young members of Bnei Akiva will ensure that his legacy lives on.