"Another song, also by chance called Eli,Eli, about
Hannah Schennes(?) who parachuted into occupied nazi
territory during the holocaust period to save jews, is a very
nice song in hebrew. I once bought an LP by Israeli actor
TOPOL, and he included that song in the LP.
So there are two songs called ELI,ELI, which could be considered
as songs in memory of the holocaust."

The actual title of "Eli, Eli" (My God, My God), is "Halicha le'Keisaria" (Walking to Caesarea, or, the walk to Caesarea), a poem written before the war by Hannah Szenes. It has no direct relation to the Holocaust, but is sung not only in her memory, but also in memory of Holocaust victims, and as a general lament. The music is by David Zehavi.


אלי, אלי, שלא יגמר לעולם
החול והים
רשרוש של המים
ברק השמים
תפילת האדם‎

Eli, Eli, shelo igamer le'olam
hachol vehayam
rishrush shel hamayim
barak hashamayim
tfilat he'adam.

My God, my God, may it never cease to be
the sand and the sea
the rustle of the waters
the lightning of the skies
the prayer of man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sqSwV-DER8 A very moving rendition by Habreira Hativ'it. About 4 minutes in, the song starts.

She was an amazing person by all accounts, and very sensitive, some say naive. She enlisted in the British army and joined the SOE, as a radio operator, IIRC. She made a drop into Croatia, joined the partisans, and to cut a long story short, fell into the hands of the Nazis, who beat and tortured her. A little before her capture, she wrote a beautiful poem, which I don't think has been set to music.


,אַשְׁרֵי הַגַּפְרוּר שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף וְהִצִּית לֶהָבוֹת
.אַשְׁרֵי הַלְּהָבָה שֶׁבָּעֲרָה בְּסִתְרֵי לְבָבוֹת
...אַשְׁרֵי הַלְבָבוֹת שֶׁיָדְעוּ לַחְדוֹל בְּכָבוֹד
.אַשְׁרֵי הַגַּפְרוּר שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף וְהִצִּית לֶהָבוֹת‎

Ashrey hagafrur shenisraf vehetzit lehavot.
Ashrey halehava sheba'ara besitrey levavot.
Ashrey halevavot sheyad'u lachdol bekavod...
Ashrey hagafrur shenisraf vehitzit lehavot.

Blessed be the match which is burnt but started flames.
Blessed be the flame burning in the secret chambers of the hearts.
Blessed be the hearts which knew how to cease with dignity.
Blessed be the match which is burnt but started a flame.

She was only 23 or so when they executed her.