Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Solel Cohen was the first child born in the Amal group, in Saint Petersburg.

Solel Cohen and his family lived in Tel Aviv, and then moved to the Workers Quarters near the Borochov Quarter שכונת בורוכוב, where completed his elementary schooling in 1941.

Solel Cohen joined haNoar haOved in the Borochov Quarter שכונת בורוכוב, aas well as Gadna and Chish.

Solel Cohen served in the 2nd Battalion and in the 7th Battalion, 'Beer Sheva'.

Solel Cohen cites "We also had military training, and I remember my platoon leader, Bill Bar-Atid (Wilenchuk), and my squad leaders, Ezra Glon and Chaim Poznansky (Poza). Besides the training in the field we also had sea training, and went out to sea on the “Dov”, the “Tirza” and the “Rivka”."

Solel Cohen and his friends were assigned to the 10th Company, at kibbutz Sdot Yam.

In the summer of 1946, Solel Cohen attnded the course for squad leaders in the Hills of Ephraim, and kibbutz Ramat Hashofet.

Solel Cohen was made squad leader for a new group of trainees that settled at kibbutz Yagur.
Platoon leaders:
* Yehuda 'Idel' Drexler
* Arieh Shwarzman Shachar
* Motke ben Porat
* Moishele Klein

Solel Cohen cites a storm that came up the night of the planned arrival of Hanna Szenes חנה סנש, which delayed her arrival.
The British sensed activity in the area, so the landing group returned to kibbutz Yagur. and, when Hanna Szenes חנה סנש ran up onto the shore the following night, not all the reinforcements were able to get to the beach to help.

After the landing of haPortzim, Solel Cohen and the others Palyamniks were told to spend the night at a girls' school in the northern Tel Aviv.

Solel Cohen and his group were snt to kibbutz Dorot, assigned to the company of David Klein Ram, whose company was attached to the 2nd Battalion, under the command of Moshe Netzer.
Their were ttask with protecting the pipeline that went from kibbutz Dorot, kibbutz Ruchama, kibbutz Shoval to kibbutz Mishmar haNegev.

In March, 1948, Solel Cohen was ordered to kibbutz Ruchama and to take command of the “Depot”, a base for recruits of the 12th Negev Brigade חטיבת הנגב‎ which included an infantry company with scouts and mortar operators division, plus 2 companies of recruits from the Negev settlements.