Ruth (Hecker) Horan will turn 100 this year. Her fascinating life journey began in Germany and eventually led her to kibbutz Yifat in the Jezreel Valley.
Max-Mordechai Hecker was born in 1877 to a Jewish family in Hamburg. He studied structural engineering and joined a group of Zionist students, where he met Frieda Moses, whom he later married. After he graduated from university he enlisted to the Austrian army
Max had a vision: To found an engineering school in the land of Israel. In 1913 the Heckers boarded the ship "Vienna" in Trieste and sailed to Israel with their children, Danny and Ruth. In Israel, Max was appointed to manage the construction project of the Technion, which was being built during these years
Shmuel Pavzner, a friend of the family, helped the Heckers during their first days in Haifa. They initially lodged at the Herzliya Hotel and later moved to a more permanent residence
In Passover 1914, the family traveled by train from Haifa to Merhavia, to visit uncle Wilhelm who was then supervising the construction of the first concrete water tower in the country
When World War I broke out, Max, a reserves officer in the Austrian army, was called up and left the country. Frieda and the children moved to Germany and spent the war years there
After the war, the Heckers returned to Israel. Above is a farewell photo of the Hecker-Moses families taken at Frieda's parents' home in Germany
Upon their return to Israel, the family traveled to Jerusalem in the footsteps of uncle Wilhelm, who opened an architect's office in town. In the photo: The Hecker's house in the Bukharan neighborhood.
Max became involved in fundraising for the renewal of the Technion's construction. In 1925 the institution opened with Max as its director. Max resigned a year later due to professional disagreements
During these years Ruth studied at the Hebrew Reali School near the Technion. In the photo: Ruth with her friends from the Scout movement
In the photo, Ruth's classmates in her last year at school
- Next week: Ruth starts attending the agricultural school in Nahalal, marries David and takes part in the establishment of kibbutz Ramat David
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