https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp 1938-48 en-us 2017-04-19 18:16:59 UTC 2025-11-18 08:38:44 UTC hello@padlet.com t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167103257 European Jews trying to escape Nazi Germany/Europe (and some from the Mid-East).  Some immigrated legally but most arrived illegally through the illegal immigration effort, also called Aliyah Bet.
How Many?
Approximately 100,000-125,000 immigrants immigrated to Palestine illegally.]]> 2017-04-19 18:19:51 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167103257 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167104452 https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/aliyah-bet-1939-1948
http://paulsilverstone.com/aliyah-bet-project/ (you can see a list of boats and whether they succeeded
http://www.palyam.org/English/Hahapala/mainpage]]> 2017-04-19 18:23:24 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167104452 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167105140 In the late 1930's the Nazis were actually encouraging Jews to leave but the British limited legal immigration of Jews to appease the Arabs of Palestine.]]> 2017-04-19 18:25:42 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167105140 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167105625 Jews desperate to escape Europe boarded rickety ships that set sail for Palestine.  When the boats reached the shores of the Mediterranean the Jews attempted to land and avoid British patrols.  Sometimes this worked; other times it did not.  Many of the Jews who made it to Palestine were placed in internment camps by the British.

Once WWII broke out, the voyage became even more dangerous - some ships sank, including the Struma (1942, only one person survived). The voyages stopped for a while. In 1944, some small boats started making the trip again.]]> 2017-04-19 18:27:26 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167105625 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167106997 Jews had no place to go and anti-Semitism was still prevalent. Palestine seemed like a logical destination, but the British were tougher than ever. The Haganah set up a unit to organize survivors to get out of Europe and organized the 'Bericha' from Europe.
American volunteers procured ships and personnel for these journeys.  The British tried to catch as many of the illegal immigrants as possible and sent them to internment camps in Atlit or Cyprus.  

To some degree, this illegal immigration movement prompted the British to relinquish their mandate.]]> 2017-04-19 18:32:20 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167106997 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167110493 2017-04-19 18:45:16 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167110493 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167110960 2017-04-19 18:47:03 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167110960 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167111651 Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau]]> 2017-04-19 18:49:46 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167111651 t_stalbow https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167130359

• 142 voyages on 120 ships
• many were intercepted by the British & the immigrants were sent to DP camps (Atlit & Cyprus)
• Most famous journey:  Exodus (sent back to Germany)
• The group that organized the illegal journeys:  Mossad Le’Aliyah Bet   
• The plight of these Jews, especially the Holocaust survivors, brought sympathy and support of world public opinion to Zionist cause and demonstrated the resolve of the Jewish people.
• Only a few thousand immigrants actually made it; most were sent to DP camps and 1600 drowned.

]]> 2017-04-19 20:11:33 UTC https://padlet.com/t_stalbow/hzx58z2liasp/wish/167130359