The Kornweitz youngest son is born in 1914. He was for sure raised in the Zionist ideology; as he leaves Vienna in 1938 for the Netherlands where he joins the Werkdorp camp.
Werkdorp is a Hakshara/ preparation centre for immigration to Palestine under British mandate.
The Land of Israel
Young Jewish adults; whom had bond to the Zionist ideals and are willing to enter Eretz Israel; are training, in order to transform those young metropolitans' mind into pioneers. There were several training centres in the Netherlands. Werkdorp Wieringermeer is located near the small town of Nieuwe Sluis, it opened in 1934 for young German immigrants between the age of18 and 24.
In July 1939 a wide illegal immigration toward Palestine is organized. The Ship “Dora” has been bought. Initially this ship was used for coal transportation. Its inner accomodation have been transformed in order to carry people. It was meant to use the boat for transportation of a large number of people from the Netherlands and Belgium and make them enter illegally in Palestine. From Werkdorp, around 50 persons made the trip. In July 1939, the “Dora” left with 365 passengers from Netherlands and 100 from Belgium. The journey was hard but they all made it to Palestine. In 2005, the Zionist archives communicated to us a research notice from Teddy Glaser and Julian Epstein, both of them made the trip with Paul Kornweitz. After his arrival in Haifa, we lost track on him, but we’ve learned from his wife how the story continues.
Fighter
Corporal in the British army, he is sent to the commandos; caught by the German army, he si interned; he escapes from the Stalag and goes to England.
He is then assigned to the “Jewish Brigades” and takes part in Europe’s liberation.
Under General Ernest Benjamin’s command, the Jewish brigades faught the Germans in Italy from March 1945. The brigades are sent in Belgium in July; there, Paul visits his parents, whom he had not seen for seven years. Paul is the sole survivor of the Kornweitz brotherhood.
At the 54 Rubens Street, a neighbour hosts for the American Joint young ladies, who survived the concentration camps; among them, Isabelle Rubinstein. Paul marries Isabelle on January 9, 1946, after her emigration to Palestine. The young couple changes his name after the creation of the Israeli State. Paul becomes Peretz Dagan (Kortweitz meaning grind wheat, Paul translates his name into modern Hebrew) and Isabelle chooses the name Bathsheva
In June 1950 they request visas from the Belgian authorities in order to pay a visit to Paul’s parents. Marem is very sick, but the Belgian does not make it easy for them, finally they get the visas. Marem dies in February 1951. The Dagans will have two sons, born in 1952 and 1958, Paul passes away that year.
Bathsheva in Israel, went to university; she worked as a psychologist. Retired, she travels around the world in order to spread her teaching method about the Shoah, she published poems and texts about her camp's experience.
