ELI SCHWARZ
Please tell us about your family background.
I was named after my great-grandfather, who fought
at the front, was a captain, took Berlin and liberated
Prague. My Hebrew name is Eli.
My great-grandmother from my mother's side, Tova
Elevna Tartakovskaya-Pukh, comes from the famous
Jewish city of Berdichev. My grandfather from my
father's side, Yakov Davidovich Schwartz, is from the
city of Khmelnitsky. His parents lived in Israel at a time
when Israel was called Palestine. And the family, of
course, was religious. Then they returned to Russia.
Do you have any hobby?
I have a lot of them. I like to watch movies, especially
those about the war. I read a lot. I am interested
in politics, history, and religion. I am engaged in
photography, as an amateur. But perhaps my main interest is collecting special coins
and commemorative medals.
Please tell us more about this hobby of yours. Where did it start?
I have always liked history. I came to the conclusion that the knowledge we get at
school leaves much to be desired. Collecting commemorative coins and medals, I
learned much more than I did at school. My first coins were dedicated to the actions of
the anti-Hitler alliance during the Second World War, the achievements and losses of
the American army. Many of my exhibits are connected with the history of the Jewish
people and modern Israel.
Tell us about your favorite medals.
Let's start with a medal commemorating the 60th anniversary of the kidnapping of
Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina. In 1960, Mossad agents abducted Adolf
Eichmann in Argentina and secretly took him to Israel. He was one of the most wanted
Nazi criminals, the direct organizer of the Holocaust. On December 15, 1961, the trial
of Eichmann ended in Jerusalem. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity
and sentenced to death by hanging. By the way, he was the only person in Israel ever
sentenced to death.
Another medal is dedicated to the famous operation of the Israeli army called
“Operation Entebbe". On July 4, 1976, special units of the Israel Defense Forces carried
out an amazing raid into Uganda to free the passengers of an Air France Airbus A300
aircraft hijacked by PFLP and German Revolutionary Cells terrorists. Later, the operation
received the unofficial name "Yonatan" in honor of the deceased commander of the
group, Yonatan Netanyahu.
Another favorite medal is dedicated to a 1966 Mossad operation called “Operation
Diamond.” Its goal was to seize the Soviet MiG-21 aircraft, the most advanced fighter
of that time, which was the latest top-secret model. Iraqi Assyrian pilot Munir Redfa,
an Iraqi Air Force but former undercover Mossad agent, piloted a MiG-21 and landed
at an air base in Israel. Israel and the United States were able to study the design
of the aircraft. This operation (also known as"Blue Bird") to hijack a Soviet fighter is
considered a major success and an important event in the history of the Mossad.
If you had the opportunity to meet anyone in history, who would you choose, and
why?
I would really like to meet the legendary Biblical Jewish hero Shimshon (Samson). He
was respected by all, but his enemies were afraid of his strength. Even before his birth,
Samson had the status of a Nazirite; having dedicated his son to the Almighty, his mother
forbade him to touch wine and cut his hair. It was his beautiful long hair, braided into
seven braids, that became the accumulator of his extraordinary strength. The primary
enemies of the Israelites at that time were the Philistines, and Shimshon fought many
battles against them. The Philistines, no matter how hard they tried, could not defeat
him, and decided to take him by cunning. They sent a beautiful Philistine woman, Delilah,
whom Shimshon, contrary to the exhortations of his parents, nevertheless married. The
Philistines instructed Delilah to learn the secret of his strength, and he could not resist.
While Shimshon was sleeping, the treacherous Delilah cut off her husband's hair, he lost
his miraculous power, and the Philistines were able to seize him. They put him in chains,
mocked him, blinded him, and forced him to turn a massive millstone that grinds grain
into flour. This went on for quite a long time, and during this time Shimshon's hair had
grown, and his strength began to return.
One day the Philistines held a feast. For fun, Shimshon was taken to a large hall where
festive events were held, and tied with chains to the columns supporting the roof of
the building. At that moment, Shimshon called on the Lord to strengthen his strength
for one final feat. After that, the hero tensed up and tore down the columns. The roof
collapsed and killed all the Philistines present. Our hero died with them. We take
several lessons from this story. First of all, we, as a people, need to be strong so that
our enemies fear us as much as the Philistines feared Shimshon. And second, to avoid
betrayal in the family, you need to marry a Jewess.
Which JRCC programs do you participate in?
I really like the JRCC programs, both holiday programs and educational lectures and
classes.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to meet a Jewish girl with whom we would have common interests, so that
she would also be interested in the history of our people and strive to create a Jewish
family.
