כנסת ישראל haTnuat haMeri haIvri Lochit Lochita Lohita Knesset Israel תנועת המרי העברי
Alternate Locations | |
---|---|
City | Πειραιάς Pireaus |
Church Parish | Δήμος Πειραιώς |
County | Αττικής |
Country | Ελλάδα |
City | Bakar |
County | Primorsko-goranska županij |
Country | Hrvatska |
Narrative
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was a cargo ship
Registered name: Lochit Lohita or Lochita
Nickname: Tnuat haMeri haIvri תנועת המרי העברי
Capacity: 4,000 tons
Engine: coal fied steam engine
Max Speed: 5 knots, 120 Sea Miles/day
Narrative
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל sailed from Pireaus Πειραιάς, slipping under the radar of Greek and British Naval Authories, without formal clearance.
Her captain was Greek, and she had a full complement of regulation crew.
She was prepared for passengers with scaffolding and bunks, approximately 6 X 3 X 2.5 feet allocated per person.
A medical corner was added, along with toilets on deck, and wooden stairs to the 10 levels.
Narrative
In November, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev moored in Bakar, beside Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל.
On November 4, 1946, both vessels sailed for Palestine.
Narrative
On November 4, 1946, Lohita Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, along with MS Anastasia, sailed from Bakar, on a two-and-a-half week voyage, carrying 4,000 passengers.
Palyam.org cites Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל sailing on November 5, 1946, carrying 3,445 passengers.
Reuven Yatir cites: Lohita Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל carried 3,500 passengers and a small vessel, Saint, carried 500 passengers, but on their "way to the open sea the “Saint” ran into a small island and sank. We transferred her passengers to our vessel and continued our voyage in an orderly manner."
Benyamin Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yossi Harel served as second-in-command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Yoash Tzdon served as Gidoni, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
She sailed close to the Dalmatian coast.
Before she set sail, she had been given the name, תנועת המרי העברי Tnuat haMeri haIvri, the Hebrew Resistance Movement, and her captain told the passenger at muster, prior to sailing, that they should be accountable to her name.
The resistance group included 2,000 individuals, most from youth movements.
Her name was changed to Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל on orders from the Yishuv.
Narrative
Benyamin 'Ben' Yerushalmi served as Commander aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Reuven Yatir cites: a group of Maapilim he had trained in seamanship took over running of the ship, when they left the Aegean Sea and let the Greek crew go, and "They went back to Piraeus in a small boat, together with Ben Yerushalmi."
Narrative
Yossi Harel served as Second-in-Command aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
Yoash 'Chato' Tzidon served as Palyam Escort מלווה and Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
He came to Bakar with the Maapilim, from the transit camp in Zagreb.
Narrative
Reuven Hirsch Yatir served as Palyam Escort מלווה aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
Reuven Yatir cites "In November 1946, 4,000 mMaapilim arrived and Yoash Tzidon, the Gideoni (radio operator), came with them from the transit camp in Zagreb. Knesset Israel took on 3,500 Maapilim and a small vessel, the Saint, took the other 500."
Narrative
Jacob Berger, his wife, Klara, and daughter, Carmela, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
Moshe Malkiel, age 17 years, sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
Matilda and Pnina Wiesel sailed for Palestine aboard Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
On November 5, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev's engine broke down, and she began drifting towards the islands along the Dalmatian coast.
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל tried to send her a tow-line, but the weather and the rocky coast made it to dangerous.
Narrative
On November 9, 1946, MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev foundered near shore, and sank, but passengers managed to climb ashore.
Local fisherman rescued the survivors and provided accomodations for the night.
The passengers were rescued by Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל.
Narrative
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל anchored off Split for two days, preparing to accept the survivors from MS Anastasia Abba Berditchev, while the Yugoslav governemnt issued orders to bake thousands of loaves of bread for the passengers.
Narrative
An RAF surveillance plane spotted Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל north of Cyprus.
On November 25, 1946, Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was intercepted by 4 British destroyers.
Mossad leAliyah Bet ordered Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל to sail towards Haifa, stop 3 miles off shore and allow a unit of British Marines to board.
The British destroyers sailed close to Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל, and almost butted her.
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל attempted to evade the British boats for 5 days, but when she came in site of Haifa, she allowed the British Marines to board.
The engineers sabotaged the main engine
Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל was captured after much resistance from crew and passengers.
Narrative
Resistance lasted 3 hours, during which a sixteen year old passenger was killed, and dozens were wounded.
The passengers of Knesset Yisrael כנסת ישראל, which included 500 children, 100 pregnant women and six babies born during the voyage, were transferred to 3 transport ships at Haifa. and deported to Famagusta, where they were taken to Karaolos detention camp.
Narrative
Illegal Immigrants in Haifa
Narrative
Dr. Aviva Halamish, cites the voyage of Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל brought to the fore the contrasts between the Yishuv, the Jewish community in pre-state Israel, and the clandestine immigrants, who were Holocaust survivors and "carried their struggle with them."
Inspired by the story of Knesset Israel כנסת ישראל, the poet Natan Alterman wrote in the newspaper Davar of the "division of labor" between the two groups.
Web Links
Type | Link/ Description | |
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1 | Web Search | מול השער הנעול – האודיסיאה של מעפילי כנסת ישראל, סיפורה של אניית המעפילים "כנסת ישראל" |
Source References
References
- Ternrider, Klara
- ברגר Berger, Carmela bat Yaacov (Jacob)
- ברגר Berger, Jacob Yaacov
- הראל Harel Hamburger, Yosef 'Yossi'
- ויזל Wiesel, Matilda
- ויזל Wiesel, Pnina
- ירושלמי Yerushalmi, Benjamin Binyamin 'Ben'
- יתיר Hirsch Yatir, Reuven Rudolph
- מלכיאל Malkiel, Moshe
- צידון Tzidon Tsiddon Zidon , Yoash 'Mati' 'Chato'