Matityahu was born on July 7 ,1919 in Shofron  Hungary to Moshe and Rivka. He graduated high-school and joined  Beitar. In 1938, when the movement was already illegal, he was summoned by the Beitar Head (netsiv) in Budapest to fulfil positions in instruction and education. He also engaged in clandestine immigration activities in the “Af-Al-Pi” Aliya, and still found the time for university study.  Following Austria’s ‘annexation’ to Germany, he organised  a network with friends, to smuggle  Jews out of  Austria, to Hungary. From there a few made it to Israel. He was charged with smuggling ‘defectors’ and went underground. Between 1938-1944 he lived under seventeen different identities. In spring 1944 the Nazis took over Hungary and he immediately undertook rescuing Jews, by obtaining false identities, preparing bunkers for hiding, and similar actions. He managed to become part of a small Beitar group that joined  ‘Kastner’s Train’, arriving in France 1945. Beginning of 1946 he helped Etzel  organise Aliya from France, until he met Ya’acov Eliav and joined Lehi. With Eliav and Betty Knot he prepared and delivered from France to Belgium, a briefcase containing exploding envelopes, meant for British officials. At the Belgian border, customs personnel suspected them and arrested  Eliav and Betty. Matitiahu took Eliav’s briefcase, safely passing through. From Belgium he sent the envelopes as planned to their addressees.  That  night he returned to Paris and reported the event. Remaining active, he continued studies at  University of Paris and graduated in Political Economy and Philosophy. Matitiahu created a laboratory for preparation of passports and identity cards, and  established connections for Lehi in France. Following a futile attempt to bomb London from the air, he had to again change identity.  He was transferred to Vienna 1949, became suspect and was arrested during sixty days.  Matitiahu made Aliyah on October 16,1950, Hebraized his name and married Ruth, who’d been an active Lehi member in Paris  specializing in preparing certificates to save Jews. They settled in Beer-Sheba, and Matitiahu worked in the State’s road building company. During one of his voyages on the Sodom road, under construction at the time, he was seriously injured in his arm, shot at by Arab infiltrators. After his injury he worked various periods in the Social Security establishment, at the Dead Sea Industries, and finally at Ben-Gurion University Library. Matitiahu was an intelligent educated man of impressive appearance; a  very social  person and a good friend. He passed away on November 2,1994. He left behind his wife Ruth, a daughter and son, and five grandchildren.