Life in Berlin.

Max was born in Weisensee, Berlin, on Monday, 14.5.1906 (19 Iyyar 5666) at 07:00 at Lange strasse 18.
He was the son of Esther Ernestine and Siegmund Sinai Simon Schmidt. He had two older sisters: Klara Chaja who was 12 years older, and Netti who was 6 years older. Max started to help support the family (including his old grandmother who lived with them) at the age of 5, right after his father passed away. He was selling chocolate milk powder on the streets of the Weissensee quarter in Berlin.

He went to school to learn the printing profession.

On 1921-1925, while still in school, Max was working as a salesman in H&M Jacobsohn, a children’s - juniors clothes shop.

After graduation Max worked in the printing factory Graph & Co.

On 8.2.1927 Max began working in the printing factory of the Jewish community of Berlin, on Oranienburgerstrasse, where he stayed until 31.7.1933, when he left Germany.

As a young man in Germany, Max was a sportsman. He was a boxer, a swimmer and a sailor (he owned his own sailing boat), and belonged to the ‘Blau Weiss’ (blue white) organization and the ‘Macabbi’ sports club of Berlin.

As a man of vision, Max understood the situation in Germany at that time. Being a member of Jewish organizations in Berlin did not make life easier. Nazi groups harassed members of Jewish organizations. Max could see the future, and knew that he would have to leave Germany.

As many other Jews at that time he wanted to go to the Land of Israel.
However, it was impossible. The British that ruled Palestine at that time did not allow immigration without certificates, and those were given only to investors that had at least one thousand British pounds. A huge sum at that time.

Therefore, while still working in the Jewish Community’s printing shop, and as a specialist printer, Max prepared false Polish passports, for himself and his family, as well as for two of his best non Jewish friends: Wolfgang Kratch and his brother - who also wished to flee Germany.

Max left Germany in 1933. He tried to convince his mother and two sisters to come with him. His mother, whose business was still successful, did not want to leave everything and go (which she did a year later).
His married sister did not want to come, and had to escape a year later.
His oldest sister did not want to go to Palestine, and was later murdered by the Nazis in Aushwitz.

In a letter that Wolfgang Kratch wrote to Max’s wife Malka, some years after Max passed away, he tells: “We spent many happy hours as young men in Berlin, when we used to celebrate our birthdays. For many years after, my mother was still mentioning Max, the ‘Jewish blond’ friend, who looked like a Goi. Once on 1931 or 1932, while we were swimming in a public pool, the Nazis walked in and threw me (the one with the Jewish appearance) - out. Max, whom they thought to be German - was left in.”

Max’s non-Jewish friends left Germany some time later, using the false passports Max had made for them. Wolfgang Kratch escaped to Norway, and his brother to the USA.
 

Life in the Land of Israel

Max arrived in Palestine on January 1934 by ship. In his memoirs he wrote: “I was transferred from the big ship to a smaller boat that brought me to the harbor of Jaffa. I was dressed in a very elegant way, had six full suitcases but no money.
A nurse gave me an injection and a physical and was very surprised to find out that I was in a great shape. “I wish all immigrants would be so healthy.” she said.

Soon all passengers left the dock and I stood there all by myself with all the baggage. I sold some of my vests to the Arab workers around, and walked to town. I headed to the hospital where I thought I could spend the night. Night came quickly and it was very cold. I gave my blankets to some pregnant women that where laying there shivering, and covered myself with my heavy coat. I did not sleep all night.

In the morning, a man approached me and asked: “ How would you like to earn 40 Piasters?”
I agreed of course, and followed the man through the streets of Tel-Aviv.
Finally, we arrived in a hotel. In one of the rooms there was a man in a very bad position. He was lying in bed, shivering from high fever. I was expected to help him and take care of him. I remembered that I had a bottle of alcohol in my suitcase, so I used it to rub the person with, and take his temperature down. I think I saved his life.

Weeks after, while walking in the street, a stranger walked towards me. “Do you remember me?” He asked.
“No.” I said.
“I’m the man whose life you saved.” Said the man that was the one I took care on. “I‘m the man from the hotel.”
I was surprised since he looked real well.
“You saved my life!” said the man again and invited me for one of the greatest meals I have ever had.

Max became a businessman and an entrepreneur. He founded the first dancing school in Tel-Aviv in the ‘Kate Dan’ hotel (today the Dan hotel in Hayarkon St.). The school was called ‘Horra’ though he did not teach Horra, but saloon dancing. “It was very funny to teach dancing at that time,” Max wrote, “Most of the young man that came to learn to dance, were working as builders who arrived to school from the building sites. They were dressed with shorts, had everything they owned, including tools in their pockets, and wore their heavy working shoes. Oh, how many times did they step on my feet!”

In Tel-Aviv Max also owned a cigarette agency called ‘Degel’, and an office machines repair service.
 

In the British army, the Jewish Brigade

The first volunteers to join the British army to fight Nazi Germany were gathered in the Big Synagogue of Tel-Aviv. Max was among the first 80 of them. On 2.5.1941 Max was recruited to the First Camouflage Company, Royal engineers, and received the number: Pal/2749 in the function SPR  RE.

The first base Max was sent to be was Dar-A-Sur, in Syria. There, Max’s company was placed next to an Indian company. Max became very friendly with some of the Indian soldiers. He was very impressed with the special hats they used to wear, and asked some fellows to pose for him, so he could paint them.

The company’s second stop was in Ismaelia, Egypt, from where they moved on to Sidi-Al-Barni, Bengazi, Tobruk and El-Alamein (where Churchill and General Montgomery paid them a visit).

In the desert Max was stung by a desert flea and fell very sick with Palapsing Fever. Since this could not be treated in the desert, he was sent back to Jerusalem and hospitalized in the Augusta Victoria. When he recovered, Max was sent to Italy, where his company was stationed at that time. He took part in the big battle over Monte’ Casino where his engineering company built a fake army base. This was for the Germans to attack, spend ammunition, manpower, means and time.

When arriving in Rome, Max was invited with his company to the Vatican.

During his army service, Max received many ornamentations and medals. The Camouflage Stars, the Palestine Star, the 1939-1945 Star, the African Star, the British Legion Medal, the Sign of Volunteers, the Volunteers Medal, and more.

Max served in the Jewish Brigade of the British Army until 26.3.1946. His last rank was Exemplary Eng. Artif.

Life in Israel

When Max returned from the army he fathered a son.  He founded with some army friends a steam laundry and called it ‘Barbur’ (swan).
He moved to Jerusalem, where he also opened a cotton processing factory on Agripas St., and later a tools factory. In the years after he was involved in some other businesses in the city.

Max had many friends, though they were all immigrants from Germany who spoke between them only German. They all used to meet in the coffee shops ‘Atara’, Alenbi’, Alaska’, and ‘Alno’, where they used to play chess.

Max Schmidt was a giving and a happy man who had a lot of humor. He loved to sing, dance, travel and enjoy life. He was a smart man, very optimistic, precise, honest, modest and devoted to his little family. He never caused harm to anyone.

Max was very talented with everything mechanically, and also in painting and graphics.
One of his hobbies was stamp collecting. Since he knew all the printing methods of printing stamps, he was a professional philatelist, and had a huge stamp collection.

Max spoke German, English, Yiidish, and some Italian and Arabic. Though he lived many years in Israel, and was involved in its business and social life, for an unknown reason he never overcame (as many other Jews that arrived from Germany), on the difficulty of the Hebrew language, though he could basically speak it and understand everything.

Max died in the ‘Bikur Cholim’ hospital’ on Monday, 8.2.1982 (15 Shevat, 5742)
.
He was 76 years of age.

He was buried on 9.2.1982, next to his wife in Jerusalem, in the ‘Har Hamenuchot’ cemetery.

Group 92, field B,  row - B,  number 1.
 
 
 
 

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