Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Zalman Perach, age 15 years, left home and, with friends from Machanot haOlim youth movement, went to Ben Shemen בן שמן‎‎.

Zalman Perach and his group moved from Ben Shemen בן שמן to kibbutz Ein Harod קיבוץ עין חרוד for training and preparation to establish a kibbutz based near the sea.
The group became the founders of kibbutz Sdot Yam שדות ים קיבוץ,

When Itzchak Aronowitz came to Palestine, he joined the Machanot Olim movement

Zalman Perach got work as a stevedore n Haifa חיפה,.

Zalman Perach served in A Company, under the command of Yigal Alon.

Zalman Perach led the protest against the return of graduates of the Palmach seaman courses to their Palmach units.
This led to establishment of 6th Company of the Palmach, in which Zalman Perach served as its Commander.

Zalman Perach attended the Palmach פלמ"ח first courses in seamanship.

In January, 1943, in cooperation with Mossad leAliyah Bet, David Nameri set up the first training course for the Palmach פלמ"ח naval force, wrote the "Ten Commandments" of the Palmach פלמ"ח sailor.

In 1945, Zalman Perach was one of the first to be sent abroad, to Europe.
After being sent back from Egypt, his disguise dicovered by the British.

 

Zalman Perach sailed to Europe on Santa Maria de Luca.

Moshe Rabinovitch, Shmuel, 'Samek' Yanai, the Sruliks, and Menachem Churchill, who came to Tzemach on the Emek Railway הרכבת החיג'אזית attended Zalman Perach's marriage to Dita.

In December, 1945, 4 days prior to sailing, Zalman Perach, who served as Palyam פלי"ם Commander‎ מפקד aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, reached the boat.

On January 7-9, 1946, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado Ligure, carrying 908 passengers.
Palmach Information Center cites on January 9th 1946 Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from a port north of Savona.
Tzvi Katznelson cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed on January 9, 1946, carrying 900 passengers.
Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado on January 7, 1946, carrying 908 passengers. Many refugees were former partisans, 551 men, 357 women.
Amuta Yam.org cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado Ligure on January 9, 1946, carrying 908 passengers.
Tvi Ben-Tzur cites: "Among the Ma’apilim was a group of children called “The Children of Salvino”, who were orphans, survivors of the Holocaust, gathered by the
members of the Jewish units in the British Army and cared for in a camp erected for them in the village of Salvino."
Miccheno Giovanni served as Captain aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני., and the deckhands and engine room personnel were Italian.
Zalman Perach served as Palyam פלי"ם Escort מלווה‎‎, and Palyam פלי"ם Commander מפקד aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.
Gershon Etzion served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.
Tzvi Katznelson and Gad Lasker served as Palyam פלי"ם Escorts מלווים aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.

Giovanni Miccheno served as Captain aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, and Tzvi Katznelson cites: the crew was Italian.

Zalman Perach served as Palyam Escort מלווה‎ פלי"ם‎, and Palyam Commander פלי"ם‎ מפקד, aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.

Gershon Etzion served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.

Tzvi Katznelson and Gad Lasker served as Palyam Escorts מלווים פלי"ם aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.

On January 7-9, 1946, Joseph Engel sailed on Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני from Vado Ligure to Palestine.

On January 17, 1946, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני arrived off the coast of Palestine.
HMS Talybont intercepted Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, about 70 miles from the shore of Palestine,
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "This was the first time that a vessel had been taken into custody outside the territorial waters; for this reason Ha’Mossad Le’Aliya Bet decided to bring the Mandatory government to trial – through the ‘front man’ who was the legal owner of the vessel."
The British forced her to sail to Haifa חיפה, where the passengers were offloaded, and interned at Atlit Detention Camp.

Zalman Perach went aboard HMT Empire Heywood, in Haifa, disguised as a stevedore bringing food to the Maapilim and working for the Jewish Agency, with the permission of the British.