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Help Us Honor Isaac Shoshan

JNF-USA Mountain States & Pacific Northwest Regions

JNF-USA Mountain States & Pacific Northwest Regions

Isaac Shoshan was a courageous Israeli hero, who prior to and during the establishment of the state of Israel, posed as a Muslim Arab in order to undertake the dangerous mission of spying for Israel.

In 1942, with increasing attacks against Jews in Syria, 18-year-old Isaac left his hometown in Aleppo, Syria, and was smuggled into Israel. Within a few years, he joined the Palmach where he was taught to use rifles, hand grenades and explosives and where he learned Islamic prayers and practices, studied the Quran and adopted the Palestinian dialect when speaking Arabic. All of this in preparation so that he could pass as a Muslim Arab in Palestine and later in Lebanon and other Arab countries to collect intelligence and send back to Israeli military leadership. In addition to intelligence gathering, his accomplishments included thwarting a planned terrorist attack in Haifa and later helping to destroy a former Nazi vessel that was purportedly to attack Israel. Isaac had a long career in intelligence, with posts in Military Intelligence and later in Mossad and among other activities, was instrumental in smuggling over 700 Jews out of Syria and into Israel.

Isaac Shoshan died last year. Isaac’s son, Jacob Shoshan, is a tour guide in Israel. Many of us have had the wonderful experience of joining a JNF-USA virtual tour of Israel with Jacob as our tour guide. To honor the memory of Isaac Shoshan and as a thank you to Jacob, we would like to dedicate a plaque in memory of Isaac Shoshan on the Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill in Israel.

Ammunition Hill is a memorial that symbolizes the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem. The Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill serves as a tribute to the heroism and courage of Jewish soldiers.

The cost of the plaque is $5,000, with proceeds benefiting the development and renovation of the Ammunition Hill museum, battle grounds, library and conference center. We deeply appreciate your contribution towards this goal to honor the memory of one of Israel’s outstanding heroes. You can make your contribution online by clicking "Donate" on the right side of this page, or you can send a check made out to JNF-USA to JNF-USA, PO Box 372050, Reseda, CA 91337; please include the code RN210329 on your check so your donation supports the tribute fund for Isaac.

To learn more about Isaac Shoshan:
timesofisrael.com/our-man-in-beirut-the-remarkable-story-of-isaac-shushan

Isaac Shoshan is profiled in the book: Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel, by Matti Friedman

Please direct any questions to Beth Ida Stern, Director of the Center of Excellence at JNF-USA, at bstern@jnf.org.

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