An event in the summer of 1948 proved a defining chapter in the life of Michael Brecker.

Aged just 17 and impassioned by wide international support for a Jewish homeland following the Holocaust, Michael ran away from his Edgware home, determined to play a part in the Israeli War of Independence. Sadly, the first action he saw was not what he signed up for. Instead he became caught up in a near civil war with Jew firing on Jew during a tragic confrontation that became known as the infamous Altalena Affair.

Having travelled through war- torn Europe, Michael Brecker, who has died aged 91, arrived on board the Altalena, an Israel-bound former tank-landing ship carrying a cargo of Holocaust survivors, weapons and ammunition and volunteer fighters of the Jewish paramilitary group the Irgun.

With rival forces vying for supremacy, it was shelled and fired on from the beach by the newly created Israeli Defence Forces.

Ammunitions exploded, bullets flew in every direction and new-found friends fell screaming before his eyes. Sixteen Irgun fighters lost their lives.
Brecker dived from the burning ship into the sea near Tel Aviv and swam to shore under a hail of bullets.

He survived this and other action but the traumatic episode stayed with him for the remainder of his life. It was nothing short of miraculous that he emerged unscathed. Indeed his motto later when faced with any crisis — be it minor or major — was “Well, at least they can’t shoot me!”

In an extensive account published in his Memoirs as a Volunteer in Israel’s War of Independence he wrote: “The official line of the Ben-Gurion government was that the boat was breaking the truce, but the fact is that it was under the control of the Irgun. Both sides were actively taking advantage of the truce and surreptitiously re-arming as if it was a matter of life and death.

According to Begin, the ship had come with the full knowledge of Ben-Gurion, and it was agreed that whilst the arms would come under government orders, the arms would eventually go to the troops in Jerusalem.

However, Begin was well aware at the time that most of the groups in Jerusalem were with the Irgun, and from Ben-Gurion’s point of view, ‘He who held Jerusalem would hold Israel.’

“I like to think that one good aspect came out of that incident: it unified the country, and the army became the Israel Defence Forces, swallowing all the factions — the Haganah, the Palmach and the Irgun came together all under one single command and that, come what may, Ben-Gurion would not be perceived as the one who was abandoning Jerusalem.”

He added: “The event was always bitter, and as young as I was, I appreciated that every new nation in its early stages of establishing itself has tragedies of this nature; I have often thought that it was an event which was both avoidable and unavoidable; another good thing that came out of it was that it showed both the Arabs and the world not only the strength of Ben-Gurion but the determination of his people.”

On his return to London, Brecker devoted his time to developing his career in property and his family. He was a trailblazer, a livewire, a charmer with a beaming smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Michael Brecker was born in Hackney, East London, the son of Jack, a tailor who made costumes for films such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Connie, a corsetière and dressmaker.

Educated at Schonfield Jewish School in Stamford Hill and Hendon Technical College, he studied at the College of Estate Management and after spells at such firms as Basil Temple estate agents in Finchley, he worked as a surveyor at the Corporation of London and Granada Theatres.

At Granada he worked for its founder, Sidney Bernstein, a legendary mogul with a no-nonsense approach that he admired and no doubt adopted. On June 24, 1956 he married his fiancée Eileen Kemp.

In the same year he co-founded his commercial property business, Brecker Grossmith, with his partner, the late Stanley Grossmith, whom he had met while at college.

Brecker Grossmith quickly made a name for itself in the property world, training many of the leading surveyors and negotiators of the day, and enjoying great commercial success.

It handled schemes for property magnates Sir Max Rayne, Centre Point developer Harry Hyams and property-development company Hammerson among many others. His sons Nicholas and Richard remain involved in the firm, which has been based in London’s Wigmore Street for more than 65 years. He was a regular attendee of the Lodge of Good Intention with his brother Howard.

In his spare time Brecker was a voracious reader and a keen painter, working mainly in pen and wash but also watercolour and oil. His artworks were widely sold and he exhibited at the prestigious Arts Club in London and Aviary Park in Bournemouth.

He painted almost till the end and was thrilled his granddaughter Liorah inherited his love of and talent for art.

In later years he did his best to stave off the ghastly and grim onset of dementia.
He enjoyed attending synagogue and possibly derived even greater pleasure sampling the food and whiskies after the service while chatting to anyone and everyone.

Like many driven and successful men, Michael Brecker could either be focused like a laser or prone to attention deficit disorder. But his mind was always buzzing. He was a principled and generous man, eccentric, enchanting, exciting, unconventional; a whirlwind of ideas and joie de vivre.

He was impossible, incorrigible but always inspirational.

He is survived by his children, Nicholas, Stephen and Richard, grandchildren Daniel, Jonathan, Joshua and Liorah, great grandchildren Zipporah and Athena, his brother Howard and extended family. Eileen predeceased him in June 2011.

Michael Brecker: born December 14, 1930. Died May 17, 2022