Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

On December 27, 1946, after refitting in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal, USS Cythera (PK-31), renamed SS Abril, sailed from New York City for Southern France and Port-de-Bouc., with a 21-man crew, mostly American volunteers, seven of whom were from Brooklyn.
On the eve of the departure from New York, FBI agents raided SS Abril, expecting to find arms bound for Palestine. but, instead, they found hundreds of lifebelts.
Jeno Berkovitz cites SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט sailed for France on December 26, 1947.
She sailed under Honduran flag, operated by the American Sea and Air Volunteers for Hebrew Repatriation, an offshoot of the American League for Free Palestine and the Hebrew Committee for National Liberation.

Jeno Berkovitz served as Messman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: “'We had a crew member who was Irish Catholic and hated the British. We had a Jewish crewman who was religious and put on tefillin every day, and there were others, like me, who weren't so religious but just wanted to help the Jewish cause."
“They interviewed me in their office in Manhattan and soon afterwards called to tell me I was accepted to join the crew. Officially I was listed as a Messman, someone who serves food, but in practice almost everyone in the crew had to do all kinds of things.”

Louis Binder served as a Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
David Kaplan cites: "The trip across the Atlantic was a stormy one, experienced hands had bouts of seasickness as Abril heeled past safety levels. Louis Binder, our 16 year old whocame aboard with false papers, had to be lashed to the wheel with a bucket alongside, to stand his watch."

Louis Brettschneider, age 24 years, served as 3rd Engineer aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Walter Cushenberry, age 33 years, served as Steward aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Captain H. Robert Levitan cited: Walter Cushenberry was "one of the gentlest men you could ever meet, and he just liked helping out the underdog."
David Kaplan cites: "Our cook, Walter Cushenberry, a black man who did miracles with salami, managed to feed us under severe conditions."

Walter 'Heavy' Greaves served as Bosun aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, Walter 'Heavy' Greaves became 3rd Mate.
Having visited to a DP camp in Germany while on shore leave at the end of the war, he was inspired when, having returned to New York, he "read in the papers that the Jews wanted a state of their own."

Gershom Hakim, a young ITzL activist, served as captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
He was blamed for misjudgments that brought SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט into rough seas which delayed arrival in France by nearly a week.

James Heggie, age 33 years, served as Bosun A.B. aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, James Heggie became Bosun.

Harry Herschkowitz, age 30 years, served as a Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Albert Hirschkoff, a member of the Press, sailed aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Hyman Robert 'Bob' Levitan, age 27 years, served as 2nd Mate aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Bob replaced Gershom Hakim, as Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט. after they reached France.

Haakom Lilliby and Erling Sorensen, two young Norwegians, served aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Haakom Lilliby served as Chief Engineer.
Erling Sorensen served as 1st Engineer.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: “They didn’t speak much English and nobody knew quite why they were there, but when the engines broke down, they worked 24 hours straight to get us going again.”

Wallace Litwin, age 32 years, served as Photographer Wiper aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Norman Edward Luce, age 44 years, served as a Cook aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Louis Markowitz, age 52, years, served as 2nd Mate aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.
When Robert 'Bob' Levitan assumed the post of Captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט, Louis Markowitz became 2nd Mate.

Shepard Rifkin, age 28 years, served as AB aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Elliott Roosevelt, an experienced yachtsman, initially offered to captain aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט., but withdrew after objections from his mother, former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

Harry Nathan Schatz, age 48, years, served as Oiler aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Edward R. Styrak, age 23 years, served as Crew, Sparks 2, aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

Jack Winkler, age 20 years, served as Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.

SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט stopped at Ponta Delgada on her way to Port-de-Bouc.
David Kaplan cites Captain Levitan brought the Abril into Ponta Delgada in the Azores by dead reckoning.'

On January 10, 1947, SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט arrived at Port-de-Bouc, where she was refitted to accommodate her passengers.

Gershom Hakim was relieved of his duties as Captain, when SS Abril Gen Hecht בן הכט reached Marseille, and since the First Mate had never shown up when SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט sailed from New York, Second Mate Hyman Robert Levitan was promoted to Captain.
David Kaplan cites: "our first mate, Robert Levitan was an excellent navigator with his entire sea time experience in the Pacific."

Esther Miron sailed on SS Abril Ben Hecht from Port-de-Bouc for Palestine.
David Kaplan cites: he met Esther Miron at his hotel, and "When she walked in and saw Mr and Mrs Tayar (he was an MK from Tel Aviv at the time)
they all became hysterical. The Tayars had met on the Ben Hecht, were friends of Esther Miron who baked their wedding cake for them and hosted the party after they all reached Israel and lived near each other for several years, then moves some distance from each other and this was the first time that they had met in years!"

Hilda and Hannah Kreiser sailed on SS Abril Ben Hecht from Port-de-Bouc for Palestine.
Hilda Kreiser Tayar cites: "In February 1947 they witnessed a transport of concentration camp survivors going to Palestine organized by Eri, the son of Jabotinsky. He suggested that they join as well, They returned home to arrange alltheir thingsm and two days later they sailed."

Jack Bernstein served as Seaman aboard SS Abril Ben Hecht בן הכט.