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Ruth (Hecht) Snatager 1917-1981
Born in Pressburg, Bratislava to Katie and Joseph Hecht.
Joseph was captured during the First World War.
He was held captive for about three years and served as a military medic.
Katie stayed at her home in Bratislava/ Czechoslovakia and took care for their three small children.
Nine months after Joseph's return from captivity, the red-haired Rosie was born - a beautiful baby who always attracted attention and love.
At birth she was given the name Rachel after the mother of Joseph. Her nickname was Rochale or Rosie.
She later changed her name from Rachel to Ruth.
Ruth emigrated to Israel in 1937 and lived in Kfar Vitkin (Village), where she worked as a dentist assistant.
After the two years she moved to Tel Aviv and lived in Brenner st.
Ruth met Eduard Snatager, and married him in 1949. They moved to Ramat Hachayal, where Ronit and Emanuel were born.
She was a full-time mother and used to give private English lessons.
In addition, Ruth volunteered as a tour-guide for an organization that welcomed tourists to Israel.
Ruth was always fond of good food and enjoyed cooking and baking.
She was very sociable, a people’s person and always had a bright smile on her face.
She was fluent in Hebrew, German, Hungarian, Czech, Dutch and English.
Eduard was born in the city of Zutphen in the province Gelderland in Holland. He was the son of Julia Wallerstein and Emanuel Snatager and the younger brother of Herman and Bram. He graduated Grammar school at the age of 17.
Eduard went into hiding before the Second World War began and stayed in hiding for over three years. He was hidden by a lady named Anna Visser who was willing to hide his mother and brothers as well. Unfortunately they refused to join him and were deported. His father died before the war began.
During his hiding, Eduard corresponded with his brother Herman. The book "Zo gaan we allemaal – brieven van een vervolgd man 1941-1943" (English: 'That's how we all go - Letters from a Persecuted Man (1941-1943) includes their correrpondence.
Eduard emigrated to Israel in 1947 and joined the army which in Israel is a mandatory service.
After the War of Independence he relocated to Tel-Aviv where he met Ruth Hecht. Three weeks after their first meeting he proposed to her and they married in 1949.
He worked as a shift supervisor in a cotton factory for several years doing physical work which did not allow him to utilize his excellent education. When the cotton factory went bankrupt he started working in a company that imported and exported textiles.
Eduard was a fighter for justice and never gave up when he encountered injustice in any form.
He loved his fellow man without regard to ethnicity, religion or denomination and also had a great fondness for animals, especially dogs.
Eduard would quietly give donations to the needy without seeking any acknowledgement. Even in situations where he faced financial difficulties, he would donate his own belongings to less fortunate people. He never ignored his Jewish roots and he adhered the Calvinist (a school of Christianity) values which he had learned in his youth in Zutphen.