Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Harry Silverman grew up in the Bronx, in a typical family of new immigrants with a sister, Muriel, and a younger brother, Bill.

Harry Silverman, Martin Silver and Archie Taller did Hachshara for Palestine in Hightstown.

Harry Silverman attended an aerial photography course, and served as a photographer in England.
After D-Day, he accompanied his unit to France and Luxemburg, where he searched for Jews.

In 1945, Harry Silverman was discharged from the United States Army,.

Yona Yanai of kibbutz Ein Hashofet, a shaliach for haShomer haTzair in the United States, spoke to returning American veterans about the Jewish survivors trying to get to Palestine and how the path was being blocked by the British.
Yona Yanai asked Harry Silverman would be willing to sail to Europe aboard Haganah הגנה Norsyd.

George 'Sammy' Applebaum served aboard SS Norsyd Haganah הגנה when she sailed from New York.

David Baum served as Second Engineer, and Engineering officer aboard SS Haganah הגנה K18 and K28.
David Baum cites:when SS Haganah הגנה arrived at Marseille, "Our first contacts were Rudy (Shmaria Tzameret) and the Baharlia Brothers (ship chandlers), all very impressive people. The crew worked on regular maintenance while a shore gang installed the wooden shelves which served as bunks for the olim."

Arye Friedman served aboard SS Norsyd Haganah הגנה when she sailed from New York.
Bernard Marks cites: "the Norsyd “Hagana” bound for Marseilles, France. It was here that our Scandinavian Captain debarked and we all moved up a notch. Arieh became captain, Larry Silverstein became first mate and I became second mate."

Bernard Marks served as Second Mate aboard SS Haganah הגנה K18 and K28.
Bernard Marks cites: "I presented myself to Captain Arieh Friedman (an Israeli) on board SS Norsyd which was moored alongside the SS Beauharnois in Brewers Drydock on Staten Island. These sister ships were Canadian corvettes and the first ships from America to enter the Aliya Bet “trade”. In fact, this situation was so new that we actually picked up bunker oil in British Gibraltar. We departed Staten
Island in the afternoon on an early February 1946 day. The Beauharnois “Wedgwood” bound for Italy and the Norsyd “Hagana” bound for Marseilles, France."

In 1946, Harry Silverman was asked by Yona Yanai of kibbutz Ein haShofet, Shaliach for haShomer haTzair in the United States, to sign up to serve on a Haapalah boat.
Harry Silverman sailed to France, aboard SS Haganah הגנה., and await passage to Palestine.
Harry Silverman remained aboard SS Haganah הגנה and served in the Galley.
Harry Silverman cites: "five men from my kibbutz (Gimel) and from Kibbutz Daled sailed on the "Haganah" for France, and I was one of them."

I.F. Stone sailed aboard SS Haganah הגנה to France, where he joined displaced persons as they sought a clandestine port of embarcation, joined an illegal convoy, ran the British blockade, and landed illegally in Palestine.
I.F.Stone sent regular dispatches on the conflict between the British and Palestinian Jews, and Harry Silverman helped him with photographs of the ship and its passengers.
Underground to Palestine first appeared as a series of articles published in PM, which won the Newspaper Guild of New York, Page One award in 1947.
It was published in 1946, then reprinted in 1978 as Underground to Palestine - and Reflections Thirty Years Later
I.F. Stone cites: “They have been kicked around as Jews and now they want to live as Jews. Over and over I heard it said: ‘We want to build a Jewish country. ... We are tired of putting our sweat and blood into places where we are not welcome.' ... These Jews want the right to live as a people, to build as a people, to make their contribution to the world as a people. Are their national aspirations any less worthy of respect than those of any other oppressed people?”
I.F. Stone cites in Underground to Palestine: "We felt proud and exultant to arrive with the Jewish flag at our mast. The refugees looked for the first time upon the Holy Land with wondering and often tear-filled eyes. This was the sight for which they had longed with all their hearts, the sight for which they had risked their lives crossing one illegal border after another and on the high seas.¨

David Baum served aboard SS Haganah הגנה on her voyage from Sète.
David Baum cites: "Visitors from Mosad I'Aliyah Bet came to see the first volunteer-Jewish crew. We were taken to the camp at St. Gerome and met with the staff and our future passengers. This was a mutually beneficial experience: for us, it was our first contact with survivors anxious to get to Eretz Yisrael. For them, it was a much-appreciated surprise to meet the Jewish-American crew.
Upon completion of the preparations, we boarded 999 olim at Port-de-Bouc and set sail."

In 1946, Harry Silverman was asked by Yona Yanai of kibbutz Ein haShofet, Shaliach for haShomer haTzair in the United States, to sign up to serve on a Haapalah boat.
Harry Silverman sailed to France, aboard SS Haganah הגנה., and await passage to Palestine.
Harry Silverman remained aboard SS Haganah הגנה and served in the Galley.
Harry Silverman cites: "five men from my kibbutz (Gimel) and from Kibbutz Daled sailed on the "Haganah" for France, and I was one of them."

I.F. Stone sailed aboard SS Haganah הגנה to France, where he joined displaced persons as they sought a clandestine port of embarcation, joined an illegal convoy, ran the British blockade, and landed illegally in Palestine.
I.F.Stone sent regular dispatches on the conflict between the British and Palestinian Jews, and Harry Silverman helped him with photographs of the ship and its passengers.
Underground to Palestine first appeared as a series of articles published in PM, which won the Newspaper Guild of New York, Page One award in 1947.
It was published in 1946, then reprinted in 1978 as Underground to Palestine - and Reflections Thirty Years Later
I.F. Stone cites: “They have been kicked around as Jews and now they want to live as Jews. Over and over I heard it said: ‘We want to build a Jewish country. ... We are tired of putting our sweat and blood into places where we are not welcome.' ... These Jews want the right to live as a people, to build as a people, to make their contribution to the world as a people. Are their national aspirations any less worthy of respect than those of any other oppressed people?”
I.F. Stone cites in Underground to Palestine: "We felt proud and exultant to arrive with the Jewish flag at our mast. The refugees looked for the first time upon the Holy Land with wondering and often tear-filled eyes. This was the sight for which they had longed with all their hearts, the sight for which they had risked their lives crossing one illegal border after another and on the high seas.¨

On June 30, 1946, Balboa SS Haganah הגנה transferred her passengers at sea, about 100 miles off the coast of Palestine, to a Turkish boat, Akbel, renamed Beriah ביריה, after a Zionist settlement which had been taken over by the British earlier that year.
Palyam.org cites "Balboa SS Haganah הגנה tcarried them within 50 miles of Palestine. She met with the old Turkish tub, the "Akbel" at a preset coordinateat sea, and transferred all the Maaplim to the Turkish vessel by launch."
Bernard Marks cites: Balboa SS Haganah הגנה was "followed by a small Turkish “tub” caller Akbel and renamed “Biria”. The ruse was that we were to pretend we were disabled and signal our distress to Akbel, when she came to our rescue, take her by force. We would then install our “cargo” on her and the shoo-shoo would compel her to sail to Haifa, while we returned to Europe for another load."
Akbel Beriah ביריה was intercepted by HMS Virago and towed into Haifa, and her passengers were interned.

Avraham Lichovsky served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard SS Haganah הגנה.

Yehuda Sela, after working in the refet and the factory, served as kibbutz Secretary.

In 1949, Yehuda and Rachel Sela were sent to Los Angeles as Shlichim.
In 1951, they returned to Israel.