A special initiative by the Ministry of Defense has brought a surprising discovery to light. A simple milk can — once turned into a secret safe by Lehi commander Avraham “Yair” Stern — was unveiled this morning (Sunday) for the first time.
For decades, the can concealed sensitive materials from the Jewish underground’s struggle against British rule. Now, thanks to an initiative by the Museums Unit in the Department for Families, Commemoration and Heritage, in collaboration with the IDF Archives, the can has been revealed. In honor of Shavuot — the holiday of dairy — the can, which was hidden for years on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, offers a rare glimpse into stories that have never been published.
Letters from British Prisons
Among the hundreds of documents found inside are letters sent from British prisons by fighters of the Lehi and Etzel undergrounds, public calls to support prisoners’ families and demand their release, records of a hunger strike protesting non-kosher food, and even personal confessions from anti-British activists who wrestled with moral questions — such as whether to use “non-Hebrew” products behind bars.
The documents reveal not only the underground’s external battles, but also the internal turmoil of its members. More than 75 years after they were buried, they are now being brought to the public eye. The unveiling is part of a wider commemoration effort to restore the personal voices of those who fought for the founding of the State of Israel.
Yair Stern
Avraham Stern — known by his underground name “Yair” — was born in Poland on December 23, 1907. He was a Jewish underground fighter and poet, and the founder and first commander of the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel (Lehi). He took the name “Yair” in honor of Eleazar ben Yair, one of the leaders of the Great Revolt against the Romans and commander of the Zealots at Masada.
Stern began his activism in Etzel. In 1940, objecting to the organization’s more moderate line toward the British Mandate authorities, he led a faction that split away and formed an independent group — later known as Lehi — which prioritized continued resistance against British rule. Due to his actions, Stern became a top target of British intelligence, which at times received assistance from members of the Haganah. The search for him intensified, and he was eventually captured on February 12, 1942, and shot dead by the British immediately after his arrest.
