Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Zeev Siegel spoke Yiddish at home, and his family were ardent Zionists.

At George Washington University, Zev Siegel was one of the students invited by Hillel rabbi, Rabbi Greenberg, to meet Ike Aronowitz, who was recruiting crew members to help transport Holocaust survivors from Europe to Palestine.

Zeev Siegel signed up for Machal, and after brief paramilitary training in the Catskills, he sailed aboard President Warfield.

On February 25, 1947, President Warfield sailed from Baltimore, headed for the Mediterranean.
The cover story, if anyone asked, was that the ship was going to China, where it was to be sold.

Murray Aronoff served as Seaman/Deck Crew aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

In December, 1946, Bernard Marks, age 24 years.reported to the Baltimore shipyards to join the crew of President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.
He had been smuggled out of Palestine, first to Greece and then to the United States, and after he was back in Cincinnati for a few months, he was asked to serve on a second ship.
He served as First/Chief Mate aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

Sam Baer served as a Crew Member and Engineer aboard President Warfild Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

John Stanley Grauel served as Galley Crew aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

John Stanley Grauel's official cover was as a foreign correspondent for the Episcopal journal, The Churchman.
When President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז docked in Marseille, he flew to Paris, where he helped organize the transfer of Jewish refugees from DP camps to the port of embarkation on the southern coast of France.
When President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז sailed for Palestine, John Stanley Grauel took on the role of ship's cook, and also served as unofficial mediator between the crew and the passengers.

Eli Kalmanowitz Kalm, a Bronx native, served as Chief Steward aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

David 'Kochavi' Starec left his rabbinical studies at Yeshiva University to become an Orthodox rabbi, to serve as engine room crew aboard Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז President Warfield.

Frank Lavine served as an able-bodied Seaman aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.
After his discharge from the United States Army, Frank Lavine received a call from New York asking if he would help Jews, and a short time later, he was on his way to Baltimore and President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.
He worked preparing the ship until she sailed for Europe.
During the voyage to Europe, Frank Lavine assisted with navigation, lookout and the fire watch.
After President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז arrived in Marseille, he was issued discharge papers, but, a planned, he and other crew, remained aboard, when the Maapilim were taken on board and sailed to Palestine.

Solomon 'Sol' M. Lester served as First/Second Engineering Officer aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

On March 29, 1947, 'Bill' Millman, age 21 years, served as Deck Crew aboard President Warfild Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.
He had been sent to Baltimore where the Weston Trading Co. a friend told him, worked at in getting emigrants to Palestine.
When he signed on as Helmsman and Bosun mate, and first saw the ship, 'Bill' Millman cites: "No lights, no heat, plenty of rats, It had a metal hull but the superstructure atop the hull was entirely made of wood. The boat was outfitted with 5,000 life jackets and 5,000 1-gallon tins of water and the crew set sail for the Azores."
He became involved in the illegal immigration movement for personal reasons.
'Bill' Millman cites: "I had my problems in the service because of the fact that I was Jewish, "I caught a lot of garbage. But I took care of myself. And when I came out (of the Navy), I didn't like what I saw and what I read about" what the Nazis had done. "I decided I would do something about it."

Avraham Sygal, a volunteer from Mexico, served as Engine Room Crew aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

Mike Weiss served as boatswain-carpenter aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

On March 22, 1947, President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז stopped at Paulsboro, New Jersey, to take on fuel and change captain.

Zeev Siegel served aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז, and received his naval training on board the ship.

Harry Weinsaft served as a Deck Crew aboard President Warfild Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.
Harry Weinsaft cited: “Since the world did not help us in World War II and after, we had to help ourselves. We broke every law to get our people home and would do it again.”

Cyril 'Cy' Weinstein, age 22 years, one of 40 young Jewish volunteers from the United States, served as Third Mate aboard President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז.

On March 29, 1947, at 11:10AM, President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז sailed from Philadelphia.

On April 5, 1947, President Warfield Exodus 1947 אקסודוס תש"ז stopped at Ponta Delgada, Azores Açores.

The Washington Times cites: "The night of July 18, 1947, the British Royal Navy rammed the boat and boarded it in international waters to keep it from entering Palestine. After a struggle with passengers and crew, three shipmates were killed, including one crew member."
After the British subdued Exodus 1947 אקסודוס passengers and crew, and a medical team was brought on board, Bernard Marks was introduced as Captain. He guided her into Haifa חיפה port.
During the disembarkation process he slipped away with the help of Haganah הגנה members posing as dock workers, and was taken to kibbutz Ein Hashofet קיבוץ עין השופט.
He was later discovered by the British and imprisoned briefly, before returning to the United States.

David 'Kochavi' Starec, age 18 years, stayed with the Maapilim on HMT Ocean Vigour.

Frank Lavine stayed with the Maapilim on HMT Ocean Vigour.
Frank Lavine cites: "After being driven off the prison ship “Ocean Vigour” by club swinging English troops in Hamburg, Germany, we were put on heavily guarded trains and taken to Poppendorf and Amstau internment camps. Most of us ended up in Poppendorf."

Meier Schwarz, who had been sent to Europe to usher refugees to the south of France to catch Haapalah boats to Israel, was smuggled aboard HMT Ocean Vigour, deporting the 4,500 Exodus 1947 Maapilm.
He served as Haganah הגנה Commander aboard HMT Ocean Vigour, on her voyage back to France.

Zeev Siegel was transported back to France on HMT Ocean Vigour, and was assigned by Yossi Harel the job of Escort מלווה, serving under Zvi Meeri Katznelson, head מלווה, to live with the Maapilim, and help maintain their morale and discipline.

Moses Fuks, age 11 years, and Hadassa Fuks, age 14 years, were transported back to France on HMT Ocean Vigour.

Zevulun Gold, Nehama Gold and Pesia Gold, were transported back to France on HMT Ocean Vigour.

Michael Pertzov and Pessia Baumstein Pertzov were transported back to France on HMT Ocean Vigour.
Berry Pinshow cites: Pessia Baumstein Pertzov gave birth to a daughter, Hana, in the ship's "hospital".

Disembarking Exodus 1947, Izhak Pressburger was put on the Transport Ship, HMT Ocean Vigour.
Itzhak Pressburger cites: "We then realized that instead of going northwest towards Cyprus, the ship was headed west towards France,"

Meier Schwarz served as Haganah הגנה Commander at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp, for the Maapilim interned by the British.

In 1947, Mordechai 'Motke' Eldar was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British.

In 1947, Avraham Goldband, his wife, Mania, son, Mendel, and his mother-in-law, Esther Tager, were interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British.

When Frances transported back to Germany, Isak Greenberg came to see her.

In 1947, Chanina Kam was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British.

In 1947, Benno Ginsburg was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British, where he remained, until the end of January, 1948, when he left for Emden, then Bergen-Belsen, where he was issued false papers, and finally, Marseille, and he boarded another ship for Palestine

In 1947, Rosa Rudashevsky Jurer and her daughter, Cilia, spent two months interned at the Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp, before they could leave.
They went briefly to Emden.

In 1947, Zev Siegel was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British, until he was transferred to Endem Marina Casserne, a former German submarine base.
The Mossad le Aliyah Bet smuggled him out of the camps, with help from his sister and Shula Alazoroff, and he made his way to Marseille, and then to Napoli.

In 1947, Irene Parkinson was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British.
Irene Parkinson cites: “For many people, it was horrible to be in a camp with barbed wire again,” she says. “I stayed in Germany for 18 months. The Red Cross came. They gave us blankets, cigarettes. The cigarettes were like money. You bought things with them — a skirt, some pants. We weren’t kids anymore. We didn’t have youth anymore.”

In 1947, Sara Wiener was interned at Pöppendorf Displaced Persons' Camp by the British.

In December, 1947, Zev Siegel sailed on SS Caserta from Napoli to Haifa, and reentered Palestine on a Dutch passport that had been issued to Clara Poliakov and then reissued to him under a false name.

During Ithe War of Independence, Zeev Siegel served on A-16 Aleph 16 USS Northland.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum cites: "Zev joined the crew of the Galila which transported new immigrants from Constanta, Romania. This time the Soviet Union controlled who was allowed to immigrate. Zev again worked to smuggle Zionist leaders on board the ship."

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum cites: "During a cease-fire, Zev joined the crew of the Pan Crescent (Atzmaut) to ferry internees to Israel. The British still controlled Cyprus and only allowed non-combatants to leave the island. However, at the command of the ship's captain, Ike Aronowitz, Zev smuggled combatants on board the ship to join the new Israeli army."