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Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe
Was it one of the war’s most memorable feats of valor or an act of desperation, even madness?
In Out of the Sky, Matti Friedman unravels one of the strangest episodes of World War In 1944, a team of young women and men who had escaped the Holocaust made the inconceivable choice to parachute back into Nazi-occupied Europe under the cover of a British military operation. Yet by the end of the mission, not a single Nazi was harmed and not a single Jew was saved, and many of the parachutists died in the process. Even so, some of their names would become legendary, especially that of twenty-three-year-old Hannah Senesh, the author of the beloved Hebrew song “Eli, Eli.” Their story would become one of the young state of Israel’s founding myths—but what exactly was the mission, and what had the parachutists actually accomplished? What made them heroes?
Using thousands of original documents from once-secret files, manuscripts, memoirs, and unpublished letters, Matti Friedman follows four of the parachutists from the spring of 1944 to the operation’s dramatic end that winter. In Out of the Sky, he tells the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment, demonstrating how storytelling itself can have a power even greater than warfare. And in exploring the line between myth and reality, heroism and futility, he creates an argument that has resonance in our own time.
In Out of the Sky, Matti Friedman unravels one of the strangest episodes of World War In 1944, a team of young women and men who had escaped the Holocaust made the inconceivable choice to parachute back into Nazi-occupied Europe under the cover of a British military operation. Yet by the end of the mission, not a single Nazi was harmed and not a single Jew was saved, and many of the parachutists died in the process. Even so, some of their names would become legendary, especially that of twenty-three-year-old Hannah Senesh, the author of the beloved Hebrew song “Eli, Eli.” Their story would become one of the young state of Israel’s founding myths—but what exactly was the mission, and what had the parachutists actually accomplished? What made them heroes?
Using thousands of original documents from once-secret files, manuscripts, memoirs, and unpublished letters, Matti Friedman follows four of the parachutists from the spring of 1944 to the operation’s dramatic end that winter. In Out of the Sky, he tells the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment, demonstrating how storytelling itself can have a power even greater than warfare. And in exploring the line between myth and reality, heroism and futility, he creates an argument that has resonance in our own time.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2026
52 people are currently reading
4149 people want to read
About the author
Matti Friedman
6 books240 followersMatti Friedman (Hebrew: מתי פרידמן) is an Israeli Canadian journalist and author.
Friedman was born in Canada and grew up in Toronto. In 1995, he made aliyah to Israel and now he lives in Jerusalem.
Between 2006 and the end of 2011, Friedman was a reporter and editor in the Jerusalem bureau of the Associated Press (AP) news agency. During his journalistic career, he also worked as a reporter in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Moscow and Washington, D.C.
Following the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Friedman wrote an essay criticizing what he views as the international media's bias against Israel and undue focus on the country, stating that news organizations treat it as "most important story on earth." He cited the fact that when he was a correspondent at the Associated Press (AP), "the agency had more than 40 staffers covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. That was significantly more news staff than the AP had in China, Russia, or India, or in all of the 50 countries of sub-Saharan Africa combined. It was higher than the total number of news-gathering employees in all the countries where the uprisings of the 'Arab Spring” eventually erupted... I don’t mean to pick on the AP—the agency is wholly average, which makes it useful as an example. The big players in the news business practice groupthink, and these staffing arrangements were reflected across the herd." Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the piece went "viral" on Facebook. The Atlantic then invited Friedman to write a longer article.
Friedman's first book, The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible, was published in May 2012 by Algonquin Books. The book is an account of how the Aleppo Codex, "the oldest, most complete, most accurate text of the Hebrew Bible," came to reside in Israel. It was believed the codex had been destroyed during the 1947 Anti-Jewish riots in Aleppo when the Central Synagogue of Aleppo, where the codex was housed, was set on fire and badly damaged. In the book, Friedman also investigates how and why many of the codex's pages went missing and what their fate might be.
The book won the 2014 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, was selected as one of Booklist's top ten religion and spirituality books of 2012, was awarded the American Library Association's 2013 Sophie Brody Medal and the 2013 Canadian Jewish Book Award for history, and received second place for the Religion Newswriters Association's 2013 nonfiction religion book of the year.
Friedman was born in Canada and grew up in Toronto. In 1995, he made aliyah to Israel and now he lives in Jerusalem.
Between 2006 and the end of 2011, Friedman was a reporter and editor in the Jerusalem bureau of the Associated Press (AP) news agency. During his journalistic career, he also worked as a reporter in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Moscow and Washington, D.C.
Following the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Friedman wrote an essay criticizing what he views as the international media's bias against Israel and undue focus on the country, stating that news organizations treat it as "most important story on earth." He cited the fact that when he was a correspondent at the Associated Press (AP), "the agency had more than 40 staffers covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. That was significantly more news staff than the AP had in China, Russia, or India, or in all of the 50 countries of sub-Saharan Africa combined. It was higher than the total number of news-gathering employees in all the countries where the uprisings of the 'Arab Spring” eventually erupted... I don’t mean to pick on the AP—the agency is wholly average, which makes it useful as an example. The big players in the news business practice groupthink, and these staffing arrangements were reflected across the herd." Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the piece went "viral" on Facebook. The Atlantic then invited Friedman to write a longer article.
Friedman's first book, The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible, was published in May 2012 by Algonquin Books. The book is an account of how the Aleppo Codex, "the oldest, most complete, most accurate text of the Hebrew Bible," came to reside in Israel. It was believed the codex had been destroyed during the 1947 Anti-Jewish riots in Aleppo when the Central Synagogue of Aleppo, where the codex was housed, was set on fire and badly damaged. In the book, Friedman also investigates how and why many of the codex's pages went missing and what their fate might be.
The book won the 2014 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, was selected as one of Booklist's top ten religion and spirituality books of 2012, was awarded the American Library Association's 2013 Sophie Brody Medal and the 2013 Canadian Jewish Book Award for history, and received second place for the Religion Newswriters Association's 2013 nonfiction religion book of the year.
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April 16, 2026
Out of the sky: An Untold Story of Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe, Matti Friedman, author and narrator
Friedman focuses his research and writing on the volunteer parachutists, all Jewish, that the British sent back behind enemy lines in Europe, even though these young Jews had already been lucky enough to escape from the yoke of Nazi control. Little is known about them because their lives ended prematurely, before they even had much of a chance to succeed in their mission to rescue others. All of these largely unsung heroes had agreed to return to help others who were trapped behind enemy lines, soldiers and Jews alike. For me, that makes them all true heroes, regardless of how many or how few, if any at all, that they were able to rescue. They put the needs of others, the lives of others, before their very own. How many reading this book today would do the same then or now?
The effort to send these young Jewish underground resistance fighters back behind enemy territory, was sponsored and supported by MI 9, an intelligence arm of the British government. The campaign to drop them back into Nazi occupied Europe, began in 1944, shortly before the war’s end, but the desperation of the Germans had no effect on their success or failure. The Germans were as determined to succeed in their genocide, as the volunteers were determined to try and save those trapped behind enemy lines. The program was not well thought out or planned, however, and was perhaps conceived out of desperation, as well. The volunteers were not trained well enough. The odds were against them. They did not succeed.
At the time of The Holocaust, the British controlled the area in the Middle East that eventually became the state of Israel. The British had given the area the name of Palestine. It was not known by that name, otherwise. The author concentrates on the lives of four of the Jews who had made it to freedom in “Palestine”, four who were willing to return to Hitler’s hateful war zone to save others. One of the names stands out for me because it has been often given larger than life status in books and movies, but that status is, according to the author, largely mythical. Hannah Senesh disappeared soon after she was parachuted into Europe. Much of the information about her is gleaned largely from her own writing, and much of it is embellished by others.
I do not believe that the efforts of the parachutists, 32 in all, can be measured by ordinary standards. Whether or not they succeeded is irrelevant. They were heroes for being willing to die for their heritage, and for fellow Jews and others who had no other hope of escape to safety. They were thirty-two young Jews who were willing to parachute back into the Nazi occupied areas of Europe from which they had already perilously escaped. In the end, very few of them saved anyone else and few survived very long. They were captured quickly.
Hannah Senesh was one of the parachutists. This book sheds light on what really happened to her, and to the others, but in my mind, even as it exposes myths surrounding their efforts, they are still heroic figures. Few would have done what Hannah Senesh and the others were willing to do. They were fully aware of the fact that they would probably never return home to the relative safety of the Middle East. In actuality, even afterwards, the area, now known as Israel, has never been relatively safe. War has been continuous. Perhaps more important is the idea that the valor and bravery of the Jewish people has never diminished.
Most often, an author should never read his/her own book. Authors are either too invested in their own message or the voice is not modulated well or resonant enough. Friedman’s voice is monotonous and tends to make me zone out. Still, the story is so meaningful, that I downloaded a print copy, as well. I was hard pressed to figure out if the author supported these well-known heroes or meant to disprove their heroic status, and to what end. At times, it seemed disjointed. I decided to give the author the benefit of the doubt, however, and I interpreted his efforts as though they were trying to shed light on a subject that is dying in darkness today, as antisemitism is once again in the forefront of the news.
Friedman also reveals facts about a Jew trapped in Hitler’s world, a Jew perhaps punished unfairly and defined disastrously. Rezso Kasztner was a man who saved many Jews, and in that capacity had to wear many hats. Therefore, he was accused of being a collaborator, and essentially, he was by necessity or choice. He was tried and convicted, then the sentence was reversed, but not before he was assassinated because of his perceived crimes.
Friedman reminds us of October 7ths massacre of Jews. I am hard pressed to understand how, after such a brutal event, the villains and assassins, terrorists and fanatics are being applauded and the Jews are being denigrated. Once again, the circumstances are inconceivable and the response is undeniably necessary to most of us who believe in the right of Jews to exist and in the country of Israel’s right to exist. I think the hateful antisemitism and antizionism exists because the positive message is sparse and so the negative message takes hold. Israel’s right to exist is unclear and muddied as their people are sullied, as well, and like in this book that confuses me as to the reason the author is writing it, the world is confused as to who the guilty villains really are and does not understand or object to the truly innocent Jews and the country of Israel’s persecution.
The four that the author concentrates on are Haim Hermesh, 25 years old, Hannah Senesh, 22 years old, Enzo Seremi, 39 years old, and Haviva Reick who was 30 years old. All were Zionists and Socialists. Some of the names are aliases. I hope this book leads you to make your own decision as to the current situation that exists today by doing the research necessary to know all of the facts involved.
Friedman focuses his research and writing on the volunteer parachutists, all Jewish, that the British sent back behind enemy lines in Europe, even though these young Jews had already been lucky enough to escape from the yoke of Nazi control. Little is known about them because their lives ended prematurely, before they even had much of a chance to succeed in their mission to rescue others. All of these largely unsung heroes had agreed to return to help others who were trapped behind enemy lines, soldiers and Jews alike. For me, that makes them all true heroes, regardless of how many or how few, if any at all, that they were able to rescue. They put the needs of others, the lives of others, before their very own. How many reading this book today would do the same then or now?
The effort to send these young Jewish underground resistance fighters back behind enemy territory, was sponsored and supported by MI 9, an intelligence arm of the British government. The campaign to drop them back into Nazi occupied Europe, began in 1944, shortly before the war’s end, but the desperation of the Germans had no effect on their success or failure. The Germans were as determined to succeed in their genocide, as the volunteers were determined to try and save those trapped behind enemy lines. The program was not well thought out or planned, however, and was perhaps conceived out of desperation, as well. The volunteers were not trained well enough. The odds were against them. They did not succeed.
At the time of The Holocaust, the British controlled the area in the Middle East that eventually became the state of Israel. The British had given the area the name of Palestine. It was not known by that name, otherwise. The author concentrates on the lives of four of the Jews who had made it to freedom in “Palestine”, four who were willing to return to Hitler’s hateful war zone to save others. One of the names stands out for me because it has been often given larger than life status in books and movies, but that status is, according to the author, largely mythical. Hannah Senesh disappeared soon after she was parachuted into Europe. Much of the information about her is gleaned largely from her own writing, and much of it is embellished by others.
I do not believe that the efforts of the parachutists, 32 in all, can be measured by ordinary standards. Whether or not they succeeded is irrelevant. They were heroes for being willing to die for their heritage, and for fellow Jews and others who had no other hope of escape to safety. They were thirty-two young Jews who were willing to parachute back into the Nazi occupied areas of Europe from which they had already perilously escaped. In the end, very few of them saved anyone else and few survived very long. They were captured quickly.
Hannah Senesh was one of the parachutists. This book sheds light on what really happened to her, and to the others, but in my mind, even as it exposes myths surrounding their efforts, they are still heroic figures. Few would have done what Hannah Senesh and the others were willing to do. They were fully aware of the fact that they would probably never return home to the relative safety of the Middle East. In actuality, even afterwards, the area, now known as Israel, has never been relatively safe. War has been continuous. Perhaps more important is the idea that the valor and bravery of the Jewish people has never diminished.
Most often, an author should never read his/her own book. Authors are either too invested in their own message or the voice is not modulated well or resonant enough. Friedman’s voice is monotonous and tends to make me zone out. Still, the story is so meaningful, that I downloaded a print copy, as well. I was hard pressed to figure out if the author supported these well-known heroes or meant to disprove their heroic status, and to what end. At times, it seemed disjointed. I decided to give the author the benefit of the doubt, however, and I interpreted his efforts as though they were trying to shed light on a subject that is dying in darkness today, as antisemitism is once again in the forefront of the news.
Friedman also reveals facts about a Jew trapped in Hitler’s world, a Jew perhaps punished unfairly and defined disastrously. Rezso Kasztner was a man who saved many Jews, and in that capacity had to wear many hats. Therefore, he was accused of being a collaborator, and essentially, he was by necessity or choice. He was tried and convicted, then the sentence was reversed, but not before he was assassinated because of his perceived crimes.
Friedman reminds us of October 7ths massacre of Jews. I am hard pressed to understand how, after such a brutal event, the villains and assassins, terrorists and fanatics are being applauded and the Jews are being denigrated. Once again, the circumstances are inconceivable and the response is undeniably necessary to most of us who believe in the right of Jews to exist and in the country of Israel’s right to exist. I think the hateful antisemitism and antizionism exists because the positive message is sparse and so the negative message takes hold. Israel’s right to exist is unclear and muddied as their people are sullied, as well, and like in this book that confuses me as to the reason the author is writing it, the world is confused as to who the guilty villains really are and does not understand or object to the truly innocent Jews and the country of Israel’s persecution.
The four that the author concentrates on are Haim Hermesh, 25 years old, Hannah Senesh, 22 years old, Enzo Seremi, 39 years old, and Haviva Reick who was 30 years old. All were Zionists and Socialists. Some of the names are aliases. I hope this book leads you to make your own decision as to the current situation that exists today by doing the research necessary to know all of the facts involved.
May 6, 2026
I Iistened to this on audiobook, read by the author and appreciated the nuances his delivery added.
What does it mean to be a hero? Who is a hero? What roles do heroes play in national identity?
What does it mean to be a Jew? An Israeli? Have our sacrifices been worth it, and -- what is the goal to which we are all marching?
These are some of the questions explored as we follow the life stories of the parachutists of the title.
I was familiar with the Kibbutz Netzer Sereni and must have heard the name 'Enzo' at some point. I received the biography and poetry of Chanah Senesh -- Blessed is the Match -- as a bat mitzvah gift and read it many times, but now know there was so much more to her story. I knew nothing of her fellow operatives.
Friedman's research is impeccable and his storytelling eloquent; even more, I appreciated his reflections on what these people and events mean for him today, post October 7. The past is not only reified, it's made relevant to the complexities and uncertainties of life today.
There are six million life stories to be memorialized, and those of 3.5 million survivors to listen to. Friedman gives us insight into four of them.
The messiness of real life, the loose ends that call out for resolution and tidiness, are wisely left in their tangles, waiting for the future, for further exploration, discovery, and revelation.
What does it mean to be a hero? Who is a hero? What roles do heroes play in national identity?
What does it mean to be a Jew? An Israeli? Have our sacrifices been worth it, and -- what is the goal to which we are all marching?
These are some of the questions explored as we follow the life stories of the parachutists of the title.
I was familiar with the Kibbutz Netzer Sereni and must have heard the name 'Enzo' at some point. I received the biography and poetry of Chanah Senesh -- Blessed is the Match -- as a bat mitzvah gift and read it many times, but now know there was so much more to her story. I knew nothing of her fellow operatives.
Friedman's research is impeccable and his storytelling eloquent; even more, I appreciated his reflections on what these people and events mean for him today, post October 7. The past is not only reified, it's made relevant to the complexities and uncertainties of life today.
There are six million life stories to be memorialized, and those of 3.5 million survivors to listen to. Friedman gives us insight into four of them.
The messiness of real life, the loose ends that call out for resolution and tidiness, are wisely left in their tangles, waiting for the future, for further exploration, discovery, and revelation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Out of the Sky by Matti Friedman is a thoroughly-researched true account of Jewish parachutists who courageously entered Nazi-occupied Europe at immense personal risk. They all had their reasons for doing such an astonishing thing but agreed to become British agents. Their determination, rigorous training and skills got them there but their stories continued beyond their dangerous objectives which included reaching surviving Jews and Jewish refugees. Mission details vary from source to source and are conflicting but these individuals' stories are heartbreaking and gut wrenching. They encountered unimaginable horrors and setbacks. The most well-known parachutist and the one I had heard before is Hannah Senesh (Anna Szenes), a poet and diarist.
Learning more about the role of various countries during this horrendous time is important and valuable. I appreciate that the author relayed information and leaves it to us to form our own opinions. The parachutists themselves did not want to be called heroes, though some of the deeds they performed were indeed heroic. Some paid with their lives. Many stories stand out in my mind but those which are most impactful are the parachutists facing the unknown...which country would they land in? Would they be found by the Germans or the Red Party? Would they be tortured or killed? Would they reach their objectives?
The author also details travels to some of the places mentioned in the book for personal insight which does not minimize the lives and stories of the parachutists. A fascinating book!
Learning more about the role of various countries during this horrendous time is important and valuable. I appreciate that the author relayed information and leaves it to us to form our own opinions. The parachutists themselves did not want to be called heroes, though some of the deeds they performed were indeed heroic. Some paid with their lives. Many stories stand out in my mind but those which are most impactful are the parachutists facing the unknown...which country would they land in? Would they be found by the Germans or the Red Party? Would they be tortured or killed? Would they reach their objectives?
The author also details travels to some of the places mentioned in the book for personal insight which does not minimize the lives and stories of the parachutists. A fascinating book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I absolutely love this book! Matti Friedman is an author I will always read, no matter what he writes. But this is one of the most beautifully written narratives I’ve read in a long time. Friedman combines his research process with the story he tells of Jewish paratroopers during WWII who leave British Mandatory Palestine to return to Europe in hopes of alerting Jews of the Nazi atrocities. The Allied troops knew what was happening but didn’t care enough to bomb to railroad to Auschwitz. As Friedman writes, if the Allies cared more about saving Jews than the Nazis cared to wipe out Jews, the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened. And these paratroopers wouldn’t have taken what mainly ended up as suicide missions to stand up to the destruction of European Jews. Friedman’s writing provides suspense and new insights into a war that has not always been remembered for its many layers and nuances. These paratroopers have been hailed as heroes in Israel and Friedman is now bringing their stories to an even wider audience. Bravo!
May 1, 2026
Canadian born Israeli journalist Matti Friedman documents the true story of Hannah Senesh and a group of idealistic young Jews who escaped the Nazis and made it to pre-state Israel but then volunteered to risk their lives to parachute back behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Europe. The mission failed but the myth has lived on in both Israeli and diaspora history and culture. I read the 1985 biography Hannah Szenes: A Song of Light Hardcover by Maxine Rose Schur in elementary school and wrote a report about her so Friedman's new analysis piqued my interest. I also listened to several interesting podcast interviews where he spoke about his research. However, I found Out of the Sky disjointed and difficult to follow. Maybe it would have been better in print since Friedman narrates the audio book himself and let's just say that he's much more effective as a podcast interviewee than a narrator.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Out of the Sky explores the story of Jewish parachutists sent into Europe during WWII, a mission I had never heard of before and found historically interesting.
Unfortunately, the narrative structure didn’t work for me. While the book follows several parachutists, Hannah Senesh dominates the story so heavily that it sometimes feels like the others are overshadowed. Frequent digressions and a large cast of secondary figures also made the narrative harder to follow.
I also found the brief modern political comparison somewhat uncomfortable, as it felt emotionally charged and lacked broader context.
An interesting subject, but the structure and tonal shifts made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
Unfortunately, the narrative structure didn’t work for me. While the book follows several parachutists, Hannah Senesh dominates the story so heavily that it sometimes feels like the others are overshadowed. Frequent digressions and a large cast of secondary figures also made the narrative harder to follow.
I also found the brief modern political comparison somewhat uncomfortable, as it felt emotionally charged and lacked broader context.
An interesting subject, but the structure and tonal shifts made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
April 6, 2026
This is a compelling account of a mostly unknown story, shedding light on the failed parachutist mission and, most memorably, on the courage and fate of Jana Senesz and her mission companions. I found the book very easy to read, with a strong balance between the historical narrative and the author’s personal reflections and experiences while researching and writing it. This combination makes the story feel both grounded in facts and emotionally engaging. It is clear that the book is rooted in careful research, as well as in the author’s genuine desire to dig deeper and bring visibility to a story that risks being forgotten or oversimplified. Overall, it succeeds not only as a historical account but also as a meaningful act of remembrance.
May 1, 2026
This book examines the team of Jewish men and women from then British Palestine who joined up with the British on a mission to parachute into Nazi-occupied Europe.
Their story becomes one of the young state of Israel’s founding myths. Friedman brilliantly reexamines the myth and reality, while also weaving in modern day Israel and concerns about antisemitism. Why did they do it? What happened to them? Why are their stories important? What does it mean to be a hero and what does it mean to be a Jewish hero?
I could go on and on about how amazing this book is. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and I'm still thinking about some of the questions that he raised.
Their story becomes one of the young state of Israel’s founding myths. Friedman brilliantly reexamines the myth and reality, while also weaving in modern day Israel and concerns about antisemitism. Why did they do it? What happened to them? Why are their stories important? What does it mean to be a hero and what does it mean to be a Jewish hero?
I could go on and on about how amazing this book is. I was fully engrossed from start to finish, and I'm still thinking about some of the questions that he raised.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Filled with factual errors and simplifications. Almost too many to list here.
"No Jews were rescued and not a single Nazi was harmed."
Or so claims the publisher's description; and the author says virtually the same thing.
Contradicts the historical record, as documented in Yad Vashem and other archives.
Contradicts the far more rigorous and well-researched works on the same subject by Sir Martin Gilbert. See Sir Martin's account of these events, in "The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy" and the film "Blessed Is the Match."
"No Jews were rescued and not a single Nazi was harmed."
Or so claims the publisher's description; and the author says virtually the same thing.
Contradicts the historical record, as documented in Yad Vashem and other archives.
Contradicts the far more rigorous and well-researched works on the same subject by Sir Martin Gilbert. See Sir Martin's account of these events, in "The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy" and the film "Blessed Is the Match."
April 3, 2026
A beautifully written book, poetic in spirit, and dogged in trying to recreate the stories of the heroes and heroines who parachuted into Nazi Europe knowing that they were unlikely to live (only one of them did). The lead protagonist, Hannah Senesh, is the most famous in Israel, revered and venerated, and Friedman ably tries to bring her to life. Besides the written memories that he cites, the book really leaps when Friedman visit the various places that the parachutists went to, from Cairo, to Bari, to Slovakia (or Hungary). This book is quite remarkable, and one worth savoring.
April 9, 2026
I was disappointed with the book. I thought the story would be intriguing and interesting, but it did not happen. The author spent a large amount of time expressing political views and insinuating that the British deliberately sabotaged the missions because of being anti-Jewish. The remainder of the book provided some interesting stories, but overall, I felt it was dull and not worth reading. There are better stories about resistance and spy missions involving people from all nations to read.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Matti Friedman is a master storyteller and brings this fascinating and heroic story to life with Out of the Sky. I knew the outlines of the Hannah Senesh story, and that of her fellow paratroopers who went back to Nazi occupied Europe to save Jews. But Friedman brings a wealth of little known research to this story which reads like a thriller. There were several times I audibly gasped while reading the book. Truly worth reading!
March 23, 2026
This was my first Matti Friedman read and it won’t be my last!
Following the lives of four parachutists who fled Europe only to return to save Jews, Out of the Sky asks questions like what makes a hero a hero? How do we tell our own collective story: through victimhood or action? Who are the heroes of today?
This literary nonfiction was fast paced and took you from Palestine to the forests of Yugoslavia. It was a quick but difficult read at times. I liked Friedman’s own investigative-like journalism as he tried to follow the parachutists’ journeys. It made it seem raw and real, like he was grappling with the present and needed historical heroes to turn to in times of war.
It did jump around a bit and was hard to follow, and also made you wonder what the main point of the book was but by the end he gets you there. Also focused on Hannah Senesh a lot even though he makes the point there’s more to the group than her legacy.
For my full review coming out next week, check out TheShabbatDrop.com
Following the lives of four parachutists who fled Europe only to return to save Jews, Out of the Sky asks questions like what makes a hero a hero? How do we tell our own collective story: through victimhood or action? Who are the heroes of today?
This literary nonfiction was fast paced and took you from Palestine to the forests of Yugoslavia. It was a quick but difficult read at times. I liked Friedman’s own investigative-like journalism as he tried to follow the parachutists’ journeys. It made it seem raw and real, like he was grappling with the present and needed historical heroes to turn to in times of war.
It did jump around a bit and was hard to follow, and also made you wonder what the main point of the book was but by the end he gets you there. Also focused on Hannah Senesh a lot even though he makes the point there’s more to the group than her legacy.
For my full review coming out next week, check out TheShabbatDrop.com
April 1, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley!
Happy release week! I had never heard of Hannah Senesh before this book, and it sent me down an internet rabbit hole of her history and her poetry. The book was engaging and I think it would be particularly so for those who don't necessarily like an academic feel for their non-fiction.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Happy release week! I had never heard of Hannah Senesh before this book, and it sent me down an internet rabbit hole of her history and her poetry. The book was engaging and I think it would be particularly so for those who don't necessarily like an academic feel for their non-fiction.
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2026
This is a very interesting book about the paratroopers who escaped Europe to Palestine before WWII and returned to attempt to rescue their Jewish brothers and sisters. Chana Szenes is the most famous of all of them and her story is told with the others. This is a short and engaging book and I enjoyed Matti Friedman’s personal musings and audio narration. I found it pretty hard to focus on the content of this book but I think that’s more of a me problem.
April 24, 2026
Matti Friedman explores the story of some of the young Jewish immigrants to Palestine during WWII.
The most famous is Hannah Senesh, who was one of a group who parachuted behind Nazi lines under the direction of the British in 1944. While their goal to rescue Hungarian Jews was never met, they became the story of legend in the early years of the State of Israel. The author did a great job of unpacking their stories.
The most famous is Hannah Senesh, who was one of a group who parachuted behind Nazi lines under the direction of the British in 1944. While their goal to rescue Hungarian Jews was never met, they became the story of legend in the early years of the State of Israel. The author did a great job of unpacking their stories.
April 19, 2026
Friedman brings us the story of the 30 plus young Palestinian paratroopers enlisted by the British to jump into Nazi territory during WWII. All had escaped Europe. These heroes parachuted into Eastern Europe in 1944. Most did not return. Friedman focuses on 4 paratroopers: Haim, Haviva, Enzo and, of course, Hannah Senesh.
May 9, 2026
I loved this book. I had not heard about this until I started reading it on the recommendation of a Facebook friend. It reads like a James Bond movie, but it's real. Gives an insight into the passion of the earliest Zionists. The author has taken meticulous care to unravel the facts. Highly recommend it.
May 9, 2026
As I keep reading I learn more about Jews, these being from Israel, who parachuted back into Nazi held countries to try to save Jews & send pilots back to fly again. The two main ones are women who ate celebrated now in Israel.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow. What an epic story, beautifully told. Thank you for the advance copy!
April 6, 2026
I don’t usually read Shoah/WW2 books. But this is Matti Friedman, and so I read it in 2 sittings.
April 11, 2026
Exceptional. Beautifully written and deeply considered. Matti Friedman’s best book.
April 27, 2026
Nothing but the best from Matti Friedman
May 7, 2026
I liked this book a lot. I couldn’t give it five stars because, until the very end, it reads like individual, unconnected short stories. However, Matti Friedman pulls them all together in the end and makes a strong argument that the real goal of the mission wasn’t to save lives, but to redefine what it means to be Jewish - to move from a state of passivity to one of action.
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