Shlomo Hillel was born in 1923, almost at the same time as Keren Hayesod was founded. He grew up in Iraq and his life story interfaces with that of Keren Hayesod in many ways, not just chronologically.
In 1934, Shlomo Hillel came to the Land of Israel with his family. He became a central player in organized aliyah efforts, wielding enormous influence. Through his work with the Mossad LeAliyah Bet, he was responsible for clandestine immigration operations from Iran, North Africa and Egypt. He was one of the leaders of Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, which rescued 120,000 Jews from Iraq. Many details of his activities are still classified. Hillel, one of the founders of Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, was a diplomat and politician and was also the Speaker of the Knesset, Minister of Police, and Minister of Internal Affairs.
In 1989 he was appointed world chairman of Keren Hayesod. During his nine-year tenure, large aliyah operations from the Soviet Union (Exodus) and from Ethiopia (Operation Solomon) were carried out. “We have many problems”, he said in an interview in 2011, “but they do not cause the glorious past or the hope for the future to be forgotten. Young people take the State of Israel for granted. They need to be reminded that we did not come to America or France. We came to a country with difficulties and malaria, and made it flourish. We did great things together and this must be preserved”. In 1998, Hillel was awarded the Israel Prize for his special contribution to society and the state, as a person who devoted his life to Israel and the Jewish people. In his message in honor of the Keren Hayesod centennial, Shlomo Hillel said: “Mazal tov to Keren Hayesod. Don’t rest on your laurels. Work more than ever. It’s important to us, the State of Israel, for the continued existence of the Jewish people and for the relationship between Jewish communities around the world and the State of Israel”.
Photo: Shlomo Hillel (1923-2021)