NAME: Hanegbi (Strasburg) Emanuel

LEHI ALIAS: Adam

DATE OF BIRTH: October 25, 1917

DATE OF DEATH: January 6, 1975

Emanuel was born 1917 in  Greibo Poland, to Rosa and Yitzhak, a marketing retailer. His parents believed in Jewish and Zionist traditions. He had seven brothers and sisters. He studied at ‘Tarbut Hebrew School’ in Bialistock, and joined  Beitar at 15. Among the first to join Etzel’s National Cells, he was made a commander. In 1938 he was sent to the first Etzel course at Zufviyovka, and was  active in the Revisionist ‘Soldiers Alliance’. In 1938 he came to Eretz-Yisrael with the ‘Af-AL-Pi Aliya’ –  Beitar’s clandestine immigration. He joined  Beitar at Nahalat-Yitzhak, and worked in the quarries, later becoming an active Etzel member. After the split he joined Lehi, and was active in the Jerusalem area.

He had a strong brave character. After Yair’s murder and the arrest of many comrades, he still remained faithful to the cause.  In March 1942, he was arrested at the underground’s Haifa apartment and sent to the prison camps of Mizra and Latrun. He helped dig the tunnel  twenty fighters would use to escape. Before the escape he feigned illness, was taken to the Jerusalem Govt. Hospital and escaped from there. On November 1,1943 he returned, to receive his  friends escaping from Latrun, and lead them to freedom. He was put in charge of organizing the Human Resources Department, organizing supporters and fundraising. He commanded the assassination attempt on  British Police Officer Ford in Tel Aviv, participated in attacks on the CID building Jaffa, and upon soldiers and policemen. He took part in printing the Lehi newspaper “Hahazit’.

Following the UN Partition Resolution he operated against Arab gangs. During the Siege on Jerusalem, he organized supply convoys loaded with food and ammunition for the combatants  within the city. He took part in founding the ‘Fighters Party’. After departure of the British he married  Lehi member Geula Cohen and settled in Jerusalem, working at the Municipal Technical Department. He was active in the publication of the ‘Sulam’ monthly and  General Secretary of the  Jerusalem ‘Herut’ Party many years.

Emanuel passed away aged 59 on January 6,1975, and was buried at ‘Har- Hamenuchot’ Jerusalem. His son, Tsachi Hanegbi, is a Knesset member  and  Minister in the Government of Israel.