their witness was Imrich Lichtenfeld from Bratislava, who became famous as an athlete and creator of the self-defense martial art of krav maga. Like many people in those times, he was saved from the concentration camp by escaping. He boarded the steamer Pentcho, the last ship that took Jewish emigrants from Slovakia. He left behind a home, family and friends. Those who knew him remember him not only as a great athlete and teacher, but also as an accomplished dancer and an unforgettable personality. He was a great lover of life.
A colorful life awaited Imi Lichtenfeld abroad. He was a volunteer of the Czechoslovak Legion in Africa and the Middle East. In Palestine, he became the chief instructor of the Israel Defense Forces. He used his experience from his last years in Bratislava, when he and Dufi founded Jewish self-defense, in the development of the krav maga system.
“This is the first play of the Pavel Országh Hviezdoslav Theatre, whose purpose is to retell the stories of well-known and unknown Bratislavans.”
peace and enemies
Imi’s story is not only a story of the past, but also of today and tomorrow. The mistakes we made then, we make now. Will we ever learn to tolerate others and let them live when we disagree with their opinions and decisions? Even today, we see some groups of people as dangerous monsters who are about to sink their long claws into us and bite our throats.
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