Crash of the Heavens: The Remarkable Story of Hannah Senesh and the Only Military Mission to Rescue Europe's Jews During World War II

Hannah Senesh was a World War II paratrooper, poet, and Palmachnik whose courage during a 1944 mission to rescue Europe’s Jews made her a legend: today known as the “Jewish Joan of Arc.” When reports of Nazi atrocities reached the Yishuv in November 1942, Jewish leaders and British Military Intelligence trained elite Palmach volunteers—some returning behind enemy lines to aid downed Allied pilots and help Jewish civilians escape or resist deportation. Hannah was one of three female paratroopers. After migrating from Hungary at eighteen, hoping to be a poet and teacher, she instead returned as her team’s wireless operator, responsible for vital secret codes. Captured after entering Hungary, Hannah resisted torture and refused to betray her mission; her choice to face execution rather than beg for mercy made her legendary. Her legacy endures through her diary and poetry—especially Eli, Eli, the anthem of Yom HaShoah—which continues to inspire generations as proof of resilience even in history’s darkest moments.

DOUGLAS CENTURY is the author of numerous best selling books and a veteran investigative journalist, having written for The New York Times, Tablet, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and The Globe and Mail.

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