Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

When Ruth Chaiken was age 3 years, her family joined kibbutz Ein Harod עין חרוד‎‎.

In 1944, Ruth Chaikin was sent to B Company at Givat Brenner גבעת ברנר, and after that, she attended a signaling course at Joara.

Ruth Chaikin served as battalion radio operator at Givat Brenner גבעת ברנר until she was sent to the transmitting station of Mossad leAliyah Bet in Tel Aviv תל אביב.
From April, 1946, until her discharge at the end of 1949, she served as a Gidonit.

In October, 1946, Ruth Chaikin was sent to work in the transmitting station of Mossad leAliyah Bet in Paris.

Ruth Chaikin attended a two-week Seamanship course at Caesarea קיסריה.

In November, 1946, Ruth Chaikin was sent to France on SS Transylvania.

In November, 1946, Shaul Meirov Avigur sailed on SS Transylvania, with false papers, along with nine Palmachnikim, who boarded as stowaways, and were quickly discovered at sea, and were locked in a hold and badly beaten up, during the voyage, which lasted seven days.
Ruth Cheikin served as a go-between between the prisoners and Shaul Meirov Avigur, and later to a member of the Recanati family who was on the ship on his honeymoon.
They all went to the refugee camp near Marseille.

On May 20, 1948, Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון, the last (on the Haapalah list) "illegal" immigrant ship, sailed from Bandol, carrying 706 passengers, and an Italian crew.
David Stern served as commander aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון.
Willie Rostoker served as second in command aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון.
Ruth Chaikin served as Gidonit, wireless radio operator, aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון.
Giladah Levi served as nurse aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון.
Palyam.org cites: "She left the Bay of Bandol, France, carrying 705 Ma’apilim."
Ruth Cheikin cites: "The voyage was uneventful for the first ten days, and then we saw British planes overhead. The Olim were sent below and the deck was covered with a large tarpaulin. When we were only a day’s sailing from Haifa we saw a British
warship heading in our direction. The Palyam men on the ship brought up a
machine gun that we had brought with us, and pointed it toward the warship. I
received a helio message from the ship saying: “This is the Israeli warship,
“Eilat”. Ruthie, go to your station and receive orders for bringing the Olim into
Haifa. The sender, Shoshana.”"

David Stern served as Commander aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון Fabio, when she sailed from Bandol.

Myron Goldstein served as an Officer aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון Fabio, when she sailed from Bandol.

Ruth Chaikin served as Gidonit, wireless radio operator, aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון Fabio, when she sailed from Bandol.
Ruth Chaikin was sent to Paris by Mossad leAliyah Bet 'מוסד לעליה ב to work as a wireless radio operator.
Ruth Cheikin cites: "On May 19, 1948 we boarded a vessel at Bandol, near Marseilles. This was at night and shortly after we boarded, trucks came with Olim and they too went aboard. There were about 700 of them."

Giladah Levi served as nurse aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון Fabio, when she sailed from Bandol.

Willie Rostoker served as second to Commander, David Stern, aboard Krav Emek Ayalon קרב עמק איילון Fabio, when she sailed from Bandol.

Ruth Chaikin enlisted in the IDF צה"ל, and until 1949, she served as a sargeant in the General Staff מטכ"ל Special Operations Unit יחידה לתפקידים מיוחדים.