NAME: Kravinsky, Shimon

LEHI ALIAS: Gideon

DATE OF BIRTH: November 1918

DATE OF DEATH: February 13, 2008

Shimon was born in 1918 in Sosnowiec, Poland to Gittel and Shlomo, who was an upper middle-class businessman. The family was well-off. His mother could not tolerate living in the Diaspora, so she encouraged her husband to make aliyah. The family, eight strong, did so in 1924, settling in Tel Aviv.

Shimon studied in the school for boys and girls on Geula Street. He joined the HaNoar HaOved youth moment. At age fifteen, he was sent to the engineering department of the postal service, and he started working on underground cables.

In 1936, he joined the Hagana, and he trained with firearms. He was sent to defend the Ramat HaKovesh farm, protecting the workers. Near the Arab village of Miska, their vehicle hit a mine. Nine of his comrades were killed, while Shimon was severely injured in his spine, losing an eye. After a year of medical treatment, he returned to work, and he returned to the Hagana. He was named the director of the cable department of the Central District at a young age; he was also the coordinator for the workers’ committee.

In 1946, in protest of the national institutions which were collaborating with the British in pursuit of the members of the underground, he left the Hagana and joined Lehi. He was involved in planning bombing operations. It was his idea to smuggle a car bomb into Sarona (now HaKirya). While at work, he practiced the operation with Lehi fighters, who were disguised as his workers; they smuggled in a vehicle filled with explosives hid by telephone cables. When the bomb went off, many police officers were killed or injured. Offices, vehicles and the armory were destroyed. After the bombing, he was arrested and questioned.

It was also his idea to blow up Beit Hadar by putting explosive materials in subterranean pipes. However, this operation was cancelled because the British returned the building to its owners. Shimon planned attacks on the military cables throughout the country.

When the State was established, he served as a communications officer in the IDF (Hazit 3), with the rank of captain. After his demobilization, he continued to work in this profession in the private sector. He later volunteered to provide security in Judea and Samaria.

Shimon married Elka Veroslavski and had two children.