Abraham Stavsky

Abraham Stavsky was born in 1906 in Brest

Stavsky was born in Brest, the eldest of 5 children, and received a traditional and Zionist upbringing. During World War I his family moved to Pereiaslav and later returned to Brest. After finishing high school in 1923 he tried to reach the Land of Israel as an illegal immigrant, but he was caught in Galați, Romania, and deported to Poland.

He was drafted into the Polish army in 1925, served in the artillery and became an officer. After his discharge in 1927 he devoted himself to Betar. In 1933 he reached the Land of Israel and joined Betar and Brit HaBirionim, led by Abba Ahimeir.

After Chaim Arlosoroff was shot in Tel Aviv in June 1933, British Mandate police arrested Stavsky. He was convicted and sentenced to death based on the testimony of Arlosoroff's widow, but the Mandate's high court acquitted him in 1934 because her testimony lacked corroboration. A state commission of inquiry concluded in 1985 that he had no part in the murder.

After his acquittal he returned to Poland and worked for Betar. He later worked with the Irgun to smuggle Jews out of Europe during the Holocaust. He was killed in 1948 aboard the Altalena during the exchange of fire with Haganah forces.