This site is dedicated to Shmuel 'Samek' Yanai שמואל 'סמק' ינאי, and the members of Palyam פלי"ם, Machal מח"ל, Bricha בריחה, Kindertransport and the Maapilim מעפילים who, despite the dangers of the voyages, the threat of physical harm and internment by the British, ran the gauntlet to Eretz Yisrael.

Keren Palyam קרן פלי"ם

In 1943, the Palyam הפלי"ם, established as the naval company of the Palmach הפלמ"ח/the Haganah ההגנה.

The members of the Palyam הפלי"ם commanded the ships of post World War II Aliyah Bet, the organized clandestine immigration of Jews to Eretz Israel between 1945 and 1948, during the British rule in Palestine/Eretz Israel. They carried out sabotage operations against the British Navy in support of Aliya Bet, fought and lost 70 of their members in the battle over besieged Jerusalem, escorted the arms ships that brought badly needed weapons to Israel before and during the Independence War, and comprised the ranks and files of the new-born Israeli Navy.

The organization, and the Website, is managed and maintained by Palyam הפלי"ם veterans, such as Yehuda Ben-Tzur יהודה בן-צור, and their children have helped to mainain their legacy.

The Website is a wonderful source for stories about Haapalah העפלה, the boats, their journeys, and the members of Palyam הפלי"ם, and best of all, they have made a determined effort to update many of the pages with English versions, so if you do not read Hebrew, there are still plenty of stories to whet your curiosity.

Visit the Website @ Palyam הפלי"ם

MACHAL מח"ל - Volunteers from Outside Israel מתנדבי חוץ לארץ

MACHAL מח"ל is an acronym for the Hebrew words “Mitnadvei Chutz laAretz מתנדבי חוץ לארץ”, meaning “Volunteers from outside Israel”.

Their contribution was not limited Aliyah Bet: MACHAL מח"ל volunteers took part in Israel's War of Independence, and because most MACHAL מח"ל volunteers were World War II veterans, their experience and expertise were invaluable to the Israel Defense Forces.

They served in 14 branches of the IDF: Air Force, Navy, Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Intelligence, Medical Corps, Engineers, Anti-Tank, Radar, Communications, and made a significant contribution to the young Israeli Navy, and laid the foundation for the Israeli Air Force.

The minority of MACHAL מח"ל volunteers were members of Zionist Youth Movements, who viewed the volunteering as an opportunity to make Aliyah to Eretz Israel/Palestine; most came to help their people, and as soon as their mission was over, they returned to their homes, and communication with them was lost.

123 MACHAL מח"ל volunteers, 119 men and 4 women, lost their lives in the War of Independence

.

There are 2 Websites to visit, for more information about MACHAL מח"ל:

The World Machal Website is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of MACHAL for future generations

Visit the Website @ World MACHAL מח"ל

The Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum, which is sponsored by American Veterans of Israel, the organization of Aliyah Bet and Machal veterans in the United States and Canada, and draws upon the Aliyah Bet and Machal Archives in the University of Florida Libraries, and also upon the Museum of American and Canadian Volunteers in Israel’s War of Independence located in the University of Florida Hillel, Gainesville, relates the history and most of the names of the approximately 1,500 American and Canadian men and women, including Jews and Christians, who risked their lives in the service of the Jewish people from 1946 to 1949. They served on the ships to smuggle Holocaust survivors through the British blockade into Palestine or as volunteers with the Israeli armed forces.

Visit the Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum @ North American Volunteers In Israel's War of Independence

The Machal Website provides information in both English and עברית dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of MACHAL for future generations

Visit the Website @ MACHAL מח"ל

BeNetivei Haapalah, Illegal immigrant database and information center בנתיבי העפלה

The Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) המועצה לשימור אתרים has restored the Atlit “Illegal” Immigrant Detention Camp מחנה המעפילים עתלית. The Atlit “Illegal” Immigrant Detention Camp מחנה המעפילים עתלית was the British detention camp from the time of the British Mandate, built as a British military camp in 1938, and later functioned as a temporary holding facility for thousands of Maapilim from 1939-1948.

In October 1945, a daring military operation headed by Nahum Sarig and the young Yitzhak Rabin, later Israel's Prime Minister, broke into the camp and freed the 208 detainees.

The camp continued to operate as a detention camp until the end of the British Mandate, in 1948.

With the establishment of the State of Israel, the 25 acre camp became an absorption center for many Jews who came to Israel from all over the world.

The Atlit “Illegal” Immigrant Detention Camp מחנה המעפילים עתלית is now a museum, telling the story of the struggle of Jews fleeing Europe from NAZI persecution and death, who tried to reach British controlled Palestine, only to be incarcerated in camps similar to the NAZI concentration camps of Europe.

At the Atlit “Illegal” Immigrant Detention Camp מחנה המעפילים עתלית, the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) המועצה לשימור אתרים, is developing BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה (In the pathways of the “Illegal” Immigration), a Computerized Database and Information Center to trace the 130,000 Maapilim who came to Palestine from 1934 to 1948.

A major part of the BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה database is earmarked for personal documentation, which will not only include information about the Maapilim, and record stories and data.

There are portions of the BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה database earmarked for Volunteers and Activists, who risked their lives to save their fellow Jews in Europe.

In addition, there are portions of the BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה database earmarked for data regarding the “Illegal” Immigrant boats, their technical specifications, details of purchase, photographs and stories of the personnel and crew who manned them in their hazardous journeys to Israel.

Having already collated, processed and recorded close to 18,000 personal cards and testimonies, BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה is hoping to reach as many of the 130,000 Maapilim as possible, directly or through their relatives and/or friends.

BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה will be publishing online questionnaires for ACTIVISTS, VOLUNTEERS, and MAAPILIM.

If you know of someone who was part of Haapalah, please tell them about the project, and get them to fill out the online questionnaire.

For more details, please...

  • Contact BeNetivei Haapalah בנתיבי העפלה

    or

  • Contact me

    • Halina Bryks, at DP Children's Center Kloster Indersdorf

    In May, 1945, Halina Bryks was photographed at the Kloster Indersdorf Children’s Center, in an attempt to help locate surviving relatives. Her photograph, at right, was published in newspapers to facilitate the reunification of families.

    From July, 1945 to July, 1946, Kloster Indersdorf was home to Jewish and non-Jewish survivors; and, in the last two years, the monastery housed Jewish refugees from Poland and Hungary, with Kibbuz Dror playing a major role.

    In July 2011, there will be a reunion of Child Survivors from the DP Children's Center Kloster Indersdorf and Flossenbürg.

    The organizers of the reunion of survivors in Flossenbürg and Indersdorf are looking for child survivors of the Holocaust, who lived in Kloster Indersdorf, right after the war, before they immigrated to Israel, Great Britain, USA, Canada or other countries.

    The Webpage for Child Survivors from the DP Children's Center Kloster Indersdorf has a collection of many of the children who were sheltered at the camps.

    Perhaps you remember this time in Kloster Indersdorf?

    Perhaps you have more pictures you can add to the Webpage?

    Perhaps you know anyone who can be alerted by this search?

    Perhaps you would like to attend the reunion in July, 1011?

  • Contact Anna Andlauer

    or

  • Contact David Lewin

    • haAmutah leHashrashat Modaut Oniyat haMaapilim Rafiach העמותה להשרשת מודעות אוניית המעפילים רפיח

    On December 8, 1946, the Haapalah העפלה vessel, Rafiah רפיח anchored in a cove in Agiou Soassin Bay, off Syrna Σύρνα Island.

    Rafiah רפיח hit rocks, and took on water.

    The passengers jumped into the freezing cold water, with 6-7 meter waves, and climbed to the shore using ropes; 45 minutes later Rafiah רפיח sank.

    The crew and Maapilim מעפילים were stranded on Syrna Σύρνα Island, until the Greek corvette, Themistocles, brought relief supplies and 20 policemen, and with help from the vessels, HMS Providence and HMS Chevron, rescued the survivors.

    Eight Maapilim מעפילים died, and were buried on Syrna Σύρνα Island, where a memorial was erected in their honor.

    In 2010, the Survivors of Rafiah רפיח reunited at Mevo'ot Yam מבואות ים, on the‎ Emek Hefer עמק חפר coast.

    The Society, העמותה להשרשת מודעות אוניית המעפילים רפיח haAmutah leHashrashat Modaut Oniyat haMaapilim Rafiah, is commemorating the reunion, and the stories of the Survivors, in a documentary film, The Saga of Rafiah, the 2010 Reunion @ Mevo'ot Yam מבואות ים

    The Society is seeking funding for the project.

    You can make donations to:

  • Account # 279336
    Bank Mizrachi Tefahot בנק מזרחי טפחות,

    branch # 422, Bank #20,

    rehov Smilanski סמילנסקי‎ רחוב‎, Netanyah נתניה, IL-42432

  • Contact:
    Moshe Cohen משה כהן,

    Netanyah נתניה

    • Amutat Chayal haYam עמותת חיל הים

    Amutat Chayal haYam עמותת חיל הים is the Association of Veterans of the Israeli Navy.

    The crew and Maapilim מעפילים were stranded on Syrna Σύρνα Island, until the Greek corvette, Themistocles, brought relief supplies and 20 policemen, and with help from the vessels, HMS Providence and HMS Chevron, rescued the survivors.

    Although the Website is predominantly in Hebrew, it is a wonderful resource for details regarding the Haapalah העפלה, and the boats of Aliyah Bet.

    Although the Website is predominantly in Hebrew, it is a wonderful resource for details regarding the Haapalah העפלה, and the boats of Aliyah Bet.

    Although the Website is predominantly in Hebrew, it is a wonderful resource for details regarding the Haapalah העפלה, and the boats of Aliyah Bet.

    Although the Website is predominantly in Hebrew, it is a wonderful resource for details regarding the Haapalah העפלה, and the boats of Aliyah Bet.

    Visit the Website @ עמותת חיל הים

    Haapalah, Aliyah Bet and Palyam Resources

    * Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum

    * Jewish Virtual Library

    * U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

    * Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project

    * The Nizkor Project

    * TRC (Holocaust Teacher Resource Center)

    * Eye on Israel, Department of Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel

    * The Illegal Immigration of the Irgun

    * A Navy Is Born, Written by Moshe Amon

    * Ha'apala (Aliyah B') The story of the Jewish illegal immigration, written by Daniella Zamir

    * The Darien Dilemma

    * Exodus 1947