When I asked people on the street who was Danny Mas, they answered that
he was the commander of the "Lamed-Hei" ( The number 35 in Hebrew ),
commander of Gush-Etzyon and that the military operation of conquering Ramla-Lod
is named after him: Operation Danny. The schools teach about Danny-Mas the commander
and leader, but the character of Danny-Mas the man, the person is known only to few.

The character of Danny-Mas who grew up in the great times before the founding of
Israel as a state, is reflected through his poems, letters, drawings and other compositions,
although very little material is left.

Most of Danny Mas's writtings were destroyed in order to keep the british authorities
unaware of his existance. Still, from the little that remains, we are able to learn who was
Danny Mas. From his drawings and writtings stands out good humor

"Nobody demands from you to compose encyclopedias in your letters. I only wish to hear you
are still alive and that once in a while despite the exams you remember that somewhere
in remote Ein-Harod exists a despicable face who is interested in what's happening by you
and I am wondering much about you..."

"First of all I don't know exactly when, but as far as I remember PURIM is the historical
date on which Haman was hung and you were born such and such years ago..."

It seems that Danny-Mas wrote his letters whenever he felt some internal need.
It doesn't matter when, where and how. During the day, night or while standing in line
wating for the bus

He wrote very long letters. Perhaps because he was a bit lonely sometimes or perhaps
the people he was with percieved the world differently, therefore he reveals his heart
through a sheet of paper to his girlfriend Eti.

According to his own words he never wrote a letter in romantic style the way lovers do.
"..The stars...The sky...The sea...Longing for you...Your heart.." All these expresions can not
be found in his letters. He wrote whatever it was nibbling at his heart or bothering his mind.
Perhaps he wrote his secret thoughts to free himself a bit from their burden.

Danny-Mas thought much about seemingly simple things at times when most people prefer
not to think at all. In contrast with them, he would not simply accept the external image
of the world visible to the eye, but searched for the truth within different phenomenons
and many events.

This sometimes can cause pessimism, when you stop midway and remove the worlds
external shine, but once Danny realized the naked truth he tried to overcome defects
and flaws he discovered.

As an educator in the TZOFIM movement, he tried to give his cadets the will to think
in depth and to take action only after and continued in this manner also as commander
of the PALMACH. He did not wish to be an educator and commander of machines and "robots",
but of people with depth, perception and far vision.

In the TZOFIM he did not settle for childs play, but tried to give his cadets a feeling of responsibility and obligation regarding duties in the country. Back in raging 40's,
Danny-Mas was bothered by the passive attitude and unwillingness of people to volunteer
and saw this as very critical and worrying. The burden of keeping the safety of the people
and the actions toward liberation, were allways imposed on the shoulders of a few who were
drafted over and over again to different duties. When friends would take him to a party
downtown he was unable to have a good time with them. They would dance while he would sit
and watch immersed in thought.

He saw Moshe, Itzik and Yankel dancing as if evading their obligations.
The others saw the superficial-artificial joy and refused to see beyond that.
Danny prefered to face reality which were the problems of the country and the nation.
He wished to stop the dancing and to ask all those jolly people the reason for their
not volunteering or enlisting...Do they know what is going on in the country not far away
from them...?! But he would not do this. He understood that this is not the way to the
hearts of the youth...Especialy urban youth. He knew the problem was to severe to solve
in one debate. They must be reached slowly for them to understand and accept.

Danny knew that the founding of the state depends on youth from within the country
and from the diaspora, therefore they should be educated with Zionism and pioneering spirit.
His largest ambition was for national freedom and independence and he knew that these
will be achieved only through a harsh, persistant war...life or death.

He opposed pleas to politics and philanthropy.
His opinion was that a man should give up everything, to stop thinking of himself as a single
in order to help the cause. In his opinion it is not possible for only a few to take on this
mission. The whole nation must act.

For this reason Danny-Mas could not rejoice at parties and such. He saw himself and his comrades
in a completely different reality. When the alies triumphed over the Nazis, Danny-Mas did not
participate in the celebrations. He knew the magnitude of the sacrifice and the heavy price the
Jewish nation still has to pay.

"The press print descriptions of happiness and joy on eyes still sheding tears. Happiness in
the streets "Drinks are on the house" they say...flags are waved, but all of this is void,
empty speach. Actualy the feelings are of depression, melancholy and apathy...A feeling as if
the victory is not ours...as if the war is not yet over for us. Only now the conclusion of our
recent disaster is emerging and in my opinion the even more bitter and worrying conclusion of
our future, especialy when you see the helplessness, the division among us and the alienation
of large groups from the public to any Zionist activism and activity."

Danny, who at the time was an educator in the TZOFIM movement, wished to create a large and
strong movement with an ideology that was not words but a doorway to action.
He witnessed other guides caring for themselves by taking advantage of the crisis within
the movement to win better positions without considering their role as guides and educators.
From this point he also faught against corruption of the nations top positioned leaders.

Why was Danny so extremely bothered in his younger years with problems that usualy
do not characterize problems of other youngsters of the same age ?
Perhaps this has to do with his early childhood. Born In Nazi Germany, he allways felt fear
and insecure. In school, he and his Jewish classmates were forbidden to play and be noisy
so they won't annoy the Germans.

The discrimination troubled him and he searched for a national solution for the Jews.
Later, when he was allready in the PALMACH and dealing with ileagal imigration, he wrote
about his British enemies again seaking for the truth. He realized he could not hate the
British soldier for only doing his job.

"And another thing I felt that can cause ones mind to ponder...
It is difficult to hate the british soldier. I am not speaking about individuals.
Among them are contemptible people, murderers, sadists and just bastards.
It is The average soldier that is difficult to hate.

At last I have seen them, An officer and his captive, the expelled and expeller.
But when you speak with them, and we did, you find that the majority are merely regular
chaps who do what they do knowing they have no other choice and they know how to honor
someone who treats himself with dignity. To bad their lousy politicians who hold key positions
and claim to be open minded leave us no choice but to look upon the soldier as the enemy.
It could have been possible to find among them important aspects in the arrangements,
But meanwhile and despite everything they represent the enemy, at least politicaly,
and you must fight them because the others do not come here, and when there is a lack of
sentiment, the hatred is deep. Apparently we do not know at all what was meant when hatred was
defined - it is difficult.

Our resistance aroused a combination of honor and laughter among the officers and the C.I.D
when their investigation found nothing. To bad there are fools among us who fight an empire
buy meaninglessly offensing a casual soldier here and there.
I understood there are other means more powerfull and persuasive..."