Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Yehiel Hershkowitz was born in Stropnice, and later moved to Bedzin where he lived next to the Great Synagogue.

In September, 1939, Yehiel Hershkowitz's house was destroyed when the Great Synagogue of Bezdin was burned down.

Yehiel Hershkowitz was sent to fifteen different labor and concentration camps before he ended up in Buchenwald, where he was liberated by the Americans, in May 1945.

In 1946, kibbutz Magshimim moved from Bedzin to Aschbach.
From Aschbach, members made their way to Italy, to boarded Shabbetai Lozinski שבתאי לוז'ינסקי.

In 1945, after recuperating for six weeks in a hospital, Yehiel Hershkowitz returned to Bedzin and joined kibbutz Magshimim.

On March 4, 1947, Shabtai Lozinsk yשבתאי לוז'ינסקי sailed from Metaponto, carrying 700 passengers.
Palyam.org cites Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי carried 650 passengers.
Palmach Information Center cites: "Shabtay Luzinsky sailed from Metaponto port in Italy on March 4th 1947, with 650 immigrants on board."
Achille Rastelli cites: "Il 4 marzo 1947 da Metaponto si dirigeva verso la Terra Promessa il Susanna (poi Shabtai Lozinsky) con 823 passeggeri."

Aryeh Chaikind served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator aboard Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי.

Bezalel Drori and Yehosha 'Ossi' Ravid served as Palyam Escorts aboard Shabtai Lozinski שבתאי לוז'ינסקי.

Avraham Rickman Karni served aboard aboard Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי.
Avraham Rickman Karni cites: "I was chosen to sail all the way to Israel with the Olim on the ship “Susanna”, which we called the “Shoshana”.
"After we had begun the voyage there were a number of mishaps, but we finally reached Metaponto. There, with the help of fishermen and Palmachniks, we loaded 650 Olim onto the ship during the night and at daybreak were ready to sail."

David Maimon served as Palyam Commander aboard Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי.

Having helped the Palyamniks prepare the boat in Portovenere, Avrum Shavit sailed aboard Shabtai Lozinsky, to Metaponte, to take on the 700 Maaplim.

On March 4, 1947, Yehiel and Esther Hershkowitz sailed on Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי from Metaponto to Nitzanim ניצנים.

On March 4, 1947, Abraham and Baruch Kasher sailed on Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי, from Metaponto to Nitzanim ניצנים.

Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי put into the Bay of Taranto, to wait out a terrific storm.
While sheltering from the storm, a serious leak was discovered, so she returned to Metaponto, where the passengers disembarked, and the boat was brought to Porto Venere for repairs.
Avrum Shavit cites: "A terrific storm arose and we had to put into the bay of Taranto and wait out the storm. While waiting, we discovered that the ship was leaking water seriously. We could not repair the leak so it was decided to return to Metaponte. The olim left the ship which moved to Portovenera for repairs."
Avraham Rickman Karni cites: "we were in the area of Crete. A storm broke out and we were forced to seek shelter in a small bay. A day went by, and the following day we again set sail in a northerly direction. As we approached the island of Rhodes we met the “Albertina”. She transferred her 160 Olim to our ship and the Italian crew went over to her; that is, all but the captain who refused to leave the ship, with so many people aboard. The ship headed south, as if to Egypt, trying to mislead the British Navy."
After ten days, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב arrived from Sweden, and all of the passengers from Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי werei transferred to Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב to continue their journey to Palestine.
Sztetl.org.pl cites: Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי "sailed from Matapunto to the Turkish coast through the North of Rhodes to Port Said in Egypt and from there north along the coast at Gaza and Ashkelon in order to avoid the British that guarded more strictly near Jafa, Tel Aviv and Haifa ports."

On March 13, 1947, Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי went aground in the sand about 120 meters from the shore near Nitzanim ניצנים.
Sztetl.org.pl cites: "After 8 days of sailing, in the dawn of March 12, 1947 the ship dropped anchor 200 meters before Nizanim beach. But the sea was very stormy and it tried to come closer to the beach but it touched the ground and the Ma`apilim were told to jump to the sea and swim to the beach. Abraham and Baruch jumped and started swimming."
"The Palmach organized people from the nearest settlements like Kibbutz Nizanim and Gedera to come and mix with the Ma`apilim so the British couldn’t find them."
USHMM cites: Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי landed in Ashdod אשדוד, on March 12, 1947.
Avraham Rickman Karni cites: "At night she veered sharply north and made for the shore near Nitzanim. It was early in the morning of the 12th of March, 1947. The waves were so high that the boats on shore could not get to us. It was decided to raise anchor and come into shore and beach the vessel. The Italian captain did not like this decision because of damage that the vessel might suffer, but he accepted it. The ship went in and was stranded about 50 meters offshore. We strung a cable from ship to shore to facilitate unloading the Olim. There were Palmachniks on shore and others in the area, to help as well."
Palyam פלי”ם members waded out to the ship and stretched a rope from ship to shore.
They filled rubber boats with Maapilim and pull the boats to shore.
Some Maapilim jumped into the water and they brought them to the ropes so that they could pull themselves along to the shore.
Local residents from nearby settlements were recruiteed pick up the Maapilim and take them to their settlements and to places inland.
The Maapilim came ashore and mingled with hundreds of local residents who came to their rescue so that the authorities could not distinguish between them.
British destroyers appeared and sent launches with sailors to round up the Maapilim, but the launches flipped over and several of the sailors drowned, while some swam to shore.
Avraham Rickman Karni cites: "A ship of the British Navy discovered us but could not approach us. It came as close as it could, and contacted British ground forces which sealed off the area. Most of the new Olim were successfully moved from the area to surrounding
kibbutzim. A fire was lit on the shore and everyone there threw his ID card into it so that the British found it difficult to identify Israelis from Olim."
Most of the Maapilim and members of settlements were taken by the British Army to its camp at Ashdod אשדוד; the Maapilim were taken by truck to Haifa חיפה, and loaded onto the deportation ships, but most refused to go and offered passive resistance, so each one had to be carried unto the deportation ship.

Menachem 'Katoni' Zeira, after landing at Famagusta, was interned at Camp #55.
Menachem 'Katoni' Zeira cites: "We were taken from Famagusta to Summer Camp 55, and there I remained until they reviewed us again. Until then, we lived with the olim and told them about life in Palestine, so that many of the olim were classified as Israelis and transferred together with us."