Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Walter Cushenberry grew up in Mayfield, Kentucky, and moved to Brooklyn.

Captain H. Robert Levitan cited "As a black man, he knew what it was like to be kicked around, and he didn't like seeing the Jews get kicked around."

On December 27, 1946, after refitting in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal, USS Cythera (PK-31), renamed SS Abril, sailed from New York City for Southern France and Port-de-Bouc., with a 21-man crew, mostly American volunteers, seven of whom were from Brooklyn.
On the eve of the departure from New York, FBI agents raided SS Abril, expecting to find arms bound for Palestine. but, instead, they found hundreds of lifebelts.
Jeno Berkovitz cites SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט sailed for France on December 26, 1947.
She sailed under Honduran flag, operated by the American Sea and Air Volunteers for Hebrew Repatriation, an offshoot of the American League for Free Palestine and the Hebrew Committee for National Liberation.

Jeno Berkovitz served as Messman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: “'We had a crew member who was Irish Catholic and hated the British. We had a Jewish crewman who was religious and put on tefillin every day, and there were others, like me, who weren't so religious but just wanted to help the Jewish cause."
“They interviewed me in their office in Manhattan and soon afterwards called to tell me I was accepted to join the crew. Officially I was listed as a Messman, someone who serves food, but in practice almost everyone in the crew had to do all kinds of things.”

Louis Binder served as a Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
David Kaplan cites: "The trip across the Atlantic was a stormy one, experienced hands had bouts of seasickness as Abril heeled past safety levels. Louis Binder, our 16 year old whocame aboard with false papers, had to be lashed to the wheel with a bucket alongside, to stand his watch."

Louis Brettschneider, age 24 years, served as 3rd Engineer aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Walter Cushenberry, age 33 years, served as Steward aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Captain H. Robert Levitan cited: Walter Cushenberry was "one of the gentlest men you could ever meet, and he just liked helping out the underdog."
David Kaplan cites: "Our cook, Walter Cushenberry, a black man who did miracles with salami, managed to feed us under severe conditions."

Walter 'Heavy' Greaves served as Bosun aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, Walter 'Heavy' Greaves became 3rd Mate.
Having visited to a DP camp in Germany while on shore leave at the end of the war, he was inspired when, having returned to New York, he "read in the papers that the Jews wanted a state of their own."

Gershom Hakim, a young ITzL activist, served as captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
He was blamed for misjudgments that brought SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט into rough seas which delayed arrival in France by nearly a week.

James Heggie, age 33 years, served as Bosun A.B. aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, James Heggie became Bosun.

Harry Herschkowitz, age 30 years, served as a Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Albert Hirschkoff, a member of the Press, sailed aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Hyman Robert 'Bob' Levitan, age 27 years, served as 2nd Mate aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Bob replaced Gershom Hakim, as Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט. after they reached France.

Haakom Lilliby and Erling Sorensen, two young Norwegians, served aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Haakom Lilliby served as Chief Engineer.
Erling Sorensen served as 1st Engineer.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: “They didn’t speak much English and nobody knew quite why they were there, but when the engines broke down, they worked 24 hours straight to get us going again.”

Wallace Litwin, age 32 years, served as Photographer Wiper aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Norman Edward Luce, age 44 years, served as a Cook aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Louis Markowitz, age 52, years, served as 2nd Mate aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, Louis Markowitz became 2nd Mate.

Shepard Rifkin, age 28 years, served as AB aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Elliott Roosevelt, an experienced yachtsman, initially offered to captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט., but withdrew after objections from his mother, former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Harry Nathan Schatz, age 48, years, served as Oiler aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Edward R. Styrak, age 23 years, served as Crew, Sparks 2, aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Jack Winkler, age 20 years, served as Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט stopped at Ponta Delgada on her way to Port-de-Bouc.
David Kaplan cites Captain Levitan brought the Abril into Ponta Delgada in the Azores by dead reckoning.'

On January 10, 1947, SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט arrived at Port-de-Bouc, where she was refitted to accommodate her passengers.

The British took the American crew members of Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט to the Akko Prison כלא עכו fortress, and announced they would deport them to the United States.
In response, the United States Attorney General announced he would not bring criminal charges against them.

Walter Cushenberry was interned by the British in the Akko Prison fortress, alongside members of ITzL.

Robert 'Bob' Levitan was interned by the British in the Akko Prison fortress, alongside members of ITzL.

ITzl planned a breakout from Akko Prison, but one obstacle remained: how to photograph the would-be escapees to make false identity cards to get past British roadblocks.
'Bob' Levitan, Captain of Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, solved that problem, having smuggled a small camera into prison.
On May 4, 1947, ITzL blew open the Akko Prison’s southern wall, in what was described as the most spectacular prison break of modern times,and immortalized in the film “Exodus.”

On Sunday, May 4, 1947, ITzL forces broke into Akko Prison כלא עכו, and released 28 incarcerated ITzL and Lehi members.
At 14:00PM, a military engineering unit of ITzL leb by Dov Salomon and Yehuda Apiryon, made its way to the nearby Turkish bath, disguised as telephone technicians and carrying ladders, TNT, ropes and other necessary incursion equipment.
Other ITzL strike and escape teams spread around the prison, disguised as British military convoys.
34 ITzL fighters attacked Akko Prison כלא עכו.
Dov Cohen and two other fighters were killed during the retreat.

Walter 'Heavy' Greaves was interned by the British in the Akko Prison fortress, alongside members of ITzL.
Walter 'Heavy' Greaves cites: he "was amazed to find his cellmates defying the pressures of prison life by organizing entire schools, where they studied "languages, mathematics, and how to handle explosives."

Walter Cushenberry and his fellow volunteers were honored at a New York City Hall reception hosted by the mayor, and then feted at a gala dinner hosted by a very Ben Hecht.