This academic article by Dr. Daniela Ozacky Stern explores the rich material culture, self-documentation, and creative resilience of 439 right-wing Jewish underground members (from the Irgun and Lehi) who were exiled without trial by the British Mandate authorities to internment camps in Sudan, Eritrea, and Kenya between 1944 and 1948. Despite enduring harsh conditions, strict isolation, and an uncertain future, the detainees rejected idleness and established a vibrant microcosm of cultural, educational, and social activities.
Jewish detainees’ creative expression and self-documentation in British internment camps in Africa, 1944–1948
A central focus of the study is the preservation of artifacts and documentation housed primarily in the Jabotinsky Institute Archive. The detainees engaged in meticulous self-documentation from the very first week of their exile, producing daily wall newsletters, literary compilations, and ultimately a comprehensive 360-page book in Kenya titled The Book of Detention and Exile. Furthermore, their creative expression manifested through tangible material culture—ranging from everyday objects and nature collections to sophisticated items required for daring escape attempts.
The paper highlights several notable figures and their contributions:
-
Yehuda Borochov, who single-handedly initiated the camp archive by collecting discarded newsletters and later smuggled over 100 kilograms of documentation back to Israel in 1948.
-
Leopold (Lonia) Penhasovitz, the camp’s official artist, who documented daily camp life through detailed illustrations and even crafted a meticulous, handmade Monopoly game as a birthday gift.
-
Moshe Moldovski and Aharon Zukerman, who pursued scientific curiosity by forming extensive collections of African butterflies, insects, and fossils.
-
David Drukman, known as “Golden Hands,” whose technological resourcefulness and ingenuity enabled the construction of tunnel-digging equipment and the forging of elaborate identification papers.
The article argues that material culture and creative expression served far more than a psychological diversion from boredom. Instead, crafting objects, maintaining meticulous archives, and orchestrating complex escapes acted as vital forms of resistance and agency. Through these efforts, the detainees preserved their human dignity, maintained their political defiance against British colonial rule, and intentionally constructed a historical record for posterity before their final release following Israel’s independence in July 1948.
Ozacky Stern, D. (2025). Jewish detainees’ creative expression and self-documentation in British internment camps in Africa, 1944–1948. Journal of Israeli History, 43(2), 287–308.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13531042.2025.2582381
