Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Chaim Shniderman lived in Tel Aviv.

Chaim Shani cites: "During the months of June to August of 1945 I participated in a course for platoon leaders at Juara. When this ended I was assigned to a British unit of the shore patrol and was stationed at Shefayim. In addition to the work I did for the British, and the pay they gave me, I also worked for the Hagana in the area between Bat Yam and Haifa. When the shore patrol was disbanded I was appointed commander of Caesarea."

Haim Shnaiderman Shani served in Vav Company and in the Scouts-Snipers' Unit.

On August 11, 1939, Dora דורה received the signal that they could attempt to land.

On August 12, 1939, days before the beginning of World War II, and six weeks since leaving port, Dora דורה approached Shefayim שפיים, without being caught.
While unloading the passengers, the Palyamniks were informed that a Royal Navy vessel had been sighted and was approaching.
They got all the lifeboats on deck, except one which they tied to Dora דורה, which turned and headed back to Europe.
The rope that tied lifeboat to Dora דורה broke, and was lost at sea.
The Haganah telegraphed Oeri Koch that "the delivery was successful and the mother is healthy".
Eli Reens telegraphed the agreed message to Gertrud Van Tijn, who passed the message on to minister Van Boeijen, who could finally breathe again.
The Netherlands had gotten rid of 300 refugees without damaging the relationship with Great Britain, and it hadn't cost the treasury a penny.
The passengers were assembled in Kfar Shmaryahu כפר שמריהו, then relocated to the absorption centers.

In August 1939, Chaim 'Sergei Shani participated in helping take Maapilim off Dora דורה, when she landed at Shefayim שפיים.

The Palyam פלי"ם‎ No. 1 Naval Officers' course, in 1945:
Instructors:
* Shmuel Tankus
* Dov 'Berchik' Magen
Chaim Shani cites: "I also served as an instructor in the first course for naval officers of the Palyam, at Sheikh Abreikh. Lessons in sabotage took place at the Graves of the Nobles at Bet Sha’arim. Among the pupils were Shmuel Tankus and Moka Limon."
Attendees:
* Tzvi Katznelson

On December 25, 1945, Hannah Szenes חנה סנש was beached at Nahariyah נהריה.
Fritz Liebreich cites: "Andrata Hanna Szenesh ran ashore on December 27, 1945."
She listed dangerously and close to capsizing.
The passengers landed with the help of Palmach פלמ"ח members, men from Nahariyah נהריה, and a rope connected from the ship to shore.
Moshe Dafni cites: "We were called upon to help unload the ma’apilim from the “Hannah Senesh”. We all gathered at Evron, where there were many people, not only Palyamniks. Tasks and duties were assigned. I was to command the force of those who would go onto the vessel and help the ma’apilim off and into the boats or water.
Midnight came and the ship did not arrive, so we all went home. The next day we came again. We were told that since it was Christmas Day the British soldiers would not be as alert as usual. We once again arrived at the landing area and saw that we were no more than one platoon, of about 30 men. We sent some of them to bring a boat from the Nahariya branch of Hapoel. Such a boat could hold about 10 people, including its crew. The ship had two boats, each of which could take 6-7 people, and this is what there was with which to unload all of the ma’apilim. The ship came into the shore, as close as possible, and ran up onto a rock. There she rested and a strong north to south current was created about her."
"It is difficult to imagine our feelings about leaving the ma’apilim on the ship. We debated among ourselves whether we should disobey the order and go back to get the people, or whether to keep moving away from the shore. In the end we went back to Evron and not long after our arrival, the commander came along and asked for ten volunteers. These volunteers had to be aware that they could be arrested by the British if they were caught. I immediately volunteered and in a few seconds others came forward and we were ten. We wasted no time and started running back to the ship. When we got there we saw that the ma’apilim, themselves, had lowered a rope from the ship to the shore. Later I found out that among the group of young men that had laid out the rope was Yitzchak Arad (Tolka). I swam out to the ship, and Moshe Klain swam with me. The people on the ship stood there doing nothing. I told the other fellows to stand along the length of the line and help those who had trouble moving forward. I told Moshe to bring all the women first and, one at a time, told each one to grab me by the neck; I then lifted each one up and over the railing so that they could get to the rope ladder."
"When we had unloaded about half the ma’apilim, Yitzchak Sadeh and Natan Alterman appeared on the shore and I heard Benny Marshak yell: “Hurry, keep moving, come on down!”. This galvanized them into moving along more quickly, and once all the ma’apilim were down, he yelled to us to lower all the baggage as well. The baggage had been arranged beforehand on the deck and we seamen stood in a row and passed everything along from one to the next. Some of the ma’apilim helped us and the job was done quickly."
Britain's naval and political reaction to the illegal immigration of Jews to Palestine.

On December 25, 1945, Chaim Shani was among the Palyam men who helped take the passengers off Hannah Szenes חנה סנש, at Nahariyah נהריה.
Chaim Shani cites: "We also had to dispose of weapons that Palmachniks had brought to secure the area, before the British arrived on the scene. We were given a large room in Kibbutz Gaaton in which to store the weapons."

Chaim Shani cites: "After the declaration of Statehood on the 15th May, 1948, I joined the cadre that set up the 7th Brigade at Tel Hashomer. We had three days to organize and train. We had no suitable weapons but were nevertheless sent to the attack at Latrun."
"While being pounded by machine guns and mortars of the Arab Legion we managed to pick up wounded and dead in two trips, and brought them to Hulda. We took control of two villages in the area, Beit Jiz and Beit Susin, but were under fire from the Legion until the first Cease Fire on the 11th of June 1948."