World War II started on September 1, 1939, initiated by Adolf Hitler. In only 10 months, he conquered all of Europe.
Then He went to North Africa. His goal was to cut off the supply lines of Great Britain by capturing the Suez Canal. From Suez, it would be a short leap to Palestine, where he could exterminate the Jews, just as he was murdering them in Europe.
From Palestine, he also could easily swallow up the oil fields of the Middle East.
The Arabs were eager for a Nazi victory. some of the Arab leaders gave only quiet support to the German cause. Others worked actively for Hitler. One spent the war in Berlin, broadcasting to the Arab people the order to "RISE UP AGAINST BRITAIN AND HER ALLIES."
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat December 25, 1918-October 6, 1981
The British arrested those who were pro-Nazi when they could. One of those sent to prison was Anwar Sadat, a man destined to become a key figure in the history of the Middle East.
The Striking arm of the Haganah, set up in May 1941, The Palmach Unit, here some of 300 pictures as yet unidentified. They worked until May 1948 underground, and became part of IDF upon statehood.
Nazis were also setting up bases in Syria. the British wanted these bases destroyed, but could not spare soldiers for the task. They turned to the Yishuv for a solution. A special Jewish strike force was created by the Haganah. The new group was called THE PALMACH. It was a very efficient commando unit, and soon the enemy bases in Syria were in ruins.
Still, the Germans in North Africa marched east, closer and closer to the vital Suez Canal. The British took their stand at El Alamein, just 70 miles west of Alexandria, Egypt, and only 200 miles from the Suez Canal. The British army, joined by many Jews of the Yishuv, held its ground. the Nazi advance was at last turned back. The tide of war began to turn in favor of the Allies. The Suez Canal---and the Yishuv, were safe.
Now that Britain no longer needed the help of the Jews of Palestine, it promptly extended a hand of friendship to the Arabs. The pro-Nazi Arabs were treated as allies. The Jews who had helped defend the Suez Canal were treated as enemies. Though the British needed solders, they said they would accept volunteers from Palestine only if Jews and Arabs enlisted in equal numbers. Very few Arabs were interested in fighting the Nazis, while thousands of Palestinian Jews were eager to help destroy Hitler. By insisting on being "even-handed," the British kept many Jews from fighting to save their fellow Jews in Europe.
It was September 1944 before an official Jewish army unit was permitted. the Jewish Brigade fought valiantly, was one of the 1st units to make contact with survivors of the Nazi death camps, and played an important role in rescuing and caring for Jewish survivors.
Moshe Dayan, (May 20, 1915-October 16, 1981) a founder of the Palmach, later one of Israel's great leaders.
Britain's constantly shifting attitudes had a deep effect on a man who one day became one of Israel's great military leaders. The man was Moshe Dayan. He was the 1st child born in Palestine's 1st communal kibbutzim, Degania Alef. From his early years, he took part in the Yishuv's defense, and joined the Haganah. When WWII erupted, the British were afraid that the Haganah would fight the Arabs while the British were fighting Germany. Dayan and 42 other Haganah officers were arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison.Then the British realized they needed a Jewish task force to attack Syria, so they released the Haganah men.
Dayan was brave. In one battle, he alone captured 12 enemy soldiers. In another shootout, he lost his eye, and always wore a black patch over it afterwards. Britain took back the weapons loaned to the Jews when they no longer needed their help. Needing them against the Arab attacks, the Palmach broke into the British arsenal and stole them back. The British retaliated by outlawing the Palmach and the Haganah. Dayan and the Jewish Defense Force continued their operations, but now trained and organized in secret. The British had ignored the very reason they were in Palestine in the 1st place: to assist the JEWS in creating their Jewish Homeland. In direct defiance of the British authorities, the Haganah continued to smuggle refugees into Palestine. A 1939 poster showed the names and faces of 43 Jewish fighters who had been captured and sent to British jails.
The Haganah brought Jews from Europe to Palestine. The British White Paper of 1939 had announced that Jewish immigration to Palestine would be cut to 15,000 a year. They kept to this number even knowng that the Nazis were exterminating more than 15,000 Jews every few days. The Haganah smuggled Jews in. By May 14, 1948, more than 100,000 Jews had been saved "illegally" from death.
The whole world was closed to the Jews in their greatest time of need. They couldn't survive in Europe. A few entered Palestine--legally and illegally. A handful was admitted to USA. Some found refuge in isolated places like Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. For 6 million, there was no escape. Only the Jews in the USA were safe-as long as the country was untouched.
In Hamburg, Jews boarded the SS St. Louis, headed for Palestine.
Tragedy came to 2 ships with Jewish refugees escaping death. The SS St. Louis crossed the Atlantic just before the war, and was refused by the USA, Canada and all of Latin America. It had to return to Hamburg, Germany and its passengers were murdered by the Nazis. On 13 May 1939, more than 900 Jews fled Germany aboard a luxury cruise liner, the SS St Louis. They hoped to reach Cuba and then travel to the US - but were turned away in Havana and forced to return to Europe, where more than 250 were killed by the Nazis.By early 1939, the Nazis had closed most of Germany's borders and many countries had imposed quotas limiting the number of Jewish refugees they would allow in.
Cuba was seen as a temporary transit point to get to America and officials at the Cuban embassy in Berlin were offering visas for about $200 or $300 each - $3,000 to $5,000 (£1,800 to £3,000) at today's prices.
The 2nd refugee ship, the Struma, old and rickety, escaped from Rumania in 1941. The British would not permit it to land in Palestine. It was kept in a Turkish harbor for 2 months, people hungry and panicky. It was towed out to sea where it sank. More than 700 men, women, and children drowned because no one would give these Jews a corner of land on which to live.
Born in Budapest on July 17, 1921, to a wealthy, distinguished, and assimilated Hungarian Jewish family, Hannah Szenes escaped the anti-Semitism she experienced in Hungary and joined a kibbutz at Caesarea in Palestine.
The war dragged on. Hannah Senesch left her family in Hungary at the age of 18 and settled in Palestine. WWII broke out a few months later. She wanted to return to Europe and rescue her mother and others. She joined a group of 32 young Jews who parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe. Several stole some Hungarian uniforms. They took charge of arrested Jews in Hungary after landing. Hanna was betrayed and arrested by the Nazis. Szenes was arrested at the Hungarian border by Hungarian gendarmes. She was imprisoned and tortured, but refused to reveal details of her mission. She died by a firing squad at age 23. Her poem tells it all; Blessed Is the Match, which became known and loved throughout Israel.
“Blessed is the match, consumed in kindling flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the heart's secret places. Blessed is the heart that knows, for honors sake, to stop its beating. Blessed is the match, consumed in kindling flame.”
― Hannah Senesh
Resource:
A Young Person's History of Israel, 2nd edition, by David Bamberger
From the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE until modern times, only isolated instances are recorded of group immigration. For instance, my husband and I did it in 1980 by ourselves. To make aliyah meant more than to immigrate; it meant to ascend "spiritually" , as one was called up to read the Torah in the synagogue. It became the word to move to Israel.
Back in 1121 some 300 Jews went to Palestine from France and England. What was going on in England at the time? In 1099 the Jewish community in Jerusalem was massacred by the Crusaders. In 1290 the Jews of England were kicked out; expulsed. Those that made Aliyah were smart. By 1306, French Jews were kicked out of that country.
In 1267, Nahmanides, better known as Moses ben Nahman or the Rambam, made aliyah, followed by groups of disciples. He was the Rabbi of Gerona (Aragon of NE Spain). He fought against the King trying to convert Jews openly. Though promised immunity, he wound up being tried for blasphemy and had to leave Spain. From 1267 he lived in Palestine, where he settled in; Acre, reorganized the Jewish settlement.
By 1488, Obadiah of Bertinero, Italy made aliyah, also followed by his group of disciples. He was the 4th of the 12 minor Prophets. He made the prophecy condemning Edom for refused to help Jerusalem in her hour of calamity, happening in the period following the destruction of the 1st Temple of 586 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar.
1492: The Spanish Inquisition caused many Spanish Sephardi Jews, including the kabbalistic circle of Jews to make Aliyah to Palestine.
1564: Joseph Nasi's resettlement attempt brought groups from Italy. He was then nephew and son-in-law of Gracia Nasi, born a Marrano (hidden Jew) in Portugal, fleeing to Italy in 1544 fled to Constantinople in 1554 where he embraced Judaism publicly and married.
1700: 1,500 Jews arrived from eastern Europe in response to Rabbi Judah Hasid's call, who was Judah Hasid Halevi (1638-1700). He was a Kabbalist,, born in Podolia, a place between Ukraine and Moldova of eastern Europe. Believing in the imminence of redemption, they set out for Palestine. After an adventurous journey in which many lost their lives, the group reached Jerusalem in 1700. Judah Hasid died a few days after his arrival. His followers were persecuted on suspicion of Sabbataianism, and many returned to Europe. You can imagine the stories they told.
Around 1780s, there was a considerable influx of both Hasidim and followers of the Vilna Gaon, otherwise known as Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720-1797). He was born in Lithuania. When he was about 60 years old, he set out all by himself for Palestine, but returned before he ever got there. It wasn't as easy as he had thought, evidently.
1850-1880: These 30 years preceding the BILU, it is estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 Jews settled in Palestine.
1882: Making Aliyah Zionism got to Russian Jews who made aliyah as the first group (1882-1903) from a Zionistic group. they started after too many Russian pogroms (group attacks on Jews) 300 families and other smaller groups arrived from Russia, 450 pioneers from Romania and a few dozen from the Yemen. It is estimated that 25,000 immigrated during this period. A number also then emigrated.
1884: The HOVEVE ZION group tried to coordinate immigration which resulted in the Kattowitz Conference. The Turkish authorities had created some difficulties, and an increasing number of Agricultural settlements were founded.
1890: Persecutions sent thousands of Russian Jews to Palestine, but the number dwindled during the rest of the decade.
Land of Milk and Honey
1904-1914: The 2nd Aliyah were mostly from Russia again. The Kishinev and Homel pogroms had happened there, driving them out. Also, the failure of the 1905 Revolution was during this time. Many immigrants were motivated by socialist idealism. 35,000 to 40,000 entered during this period, mainly from Eastern Europe and also the oriental countries,, where life was cheap and so difficult. As before, there were emigrants as well who found it too hard to live in Palestine, too. More were now leaving for the USA.
1914, the start of World War I and the Jewish population in Palestine was 90,000, falling to 50,000 by the end of WWI in 1917.
The Balfour Declaration gave Jews the impetus to the 3rd Aliyah from 1910 to 1923 of which young people made up the group, made up mostly of members of He-Halutz.
1920, free immigration was permitted to persons with means of a trade; craftsmen, those joining their families, Talmud students whose upkeep was assured. A quota was fixed for immigrants whose maintenance was guaranteed by the Zionist Organization. These regulations were modified the next year but the principle remained.. Immigration was about 8,000 from 1920 to 1923. At the end of the period, the country's Jewish population was again about 90,000.
1924-1931: 80,000 more Jews made Aliyah with the great majority coming in1924 and 1925. They were coming from Poland where Jews suffered from fiscal restrictions. Many of the newcomers were middle-class, some "capitalists" meaning they were owners of 500 pounds, and this changed later to 1,000 pounds.
1926-1931: A number left, especially during the 1926 depression, but there were 190,000 Jews in Palestine by 1931.
1932-1940 The 5th Aliyah fell into 2 periods, from 1932 to 1935 covering the beginning of the Nazi persecutions, which saw 144,000 immigrants and 62,000 in 1935 alone, and was followed by economic prosperity. During this time, YOUTH ALIYAH was founded. and then from 1936 to 1940, coinciding with the Arab riots and economic depression, when Aliyah was restricted by the mandatory government of England, first for economic, and then later for political reasons. They were enabling the Arabs to enter Palestine instead of the Jews who they kept out. However, from 1936 to 1938, there were 53,000 immigrants. In 1939, the MacDonald White Paper recommended that only 75,000 further Jews be allowed admission during the next 5 years and then it would be dependent on Arab agreement.
However, 36,,000 immigrants entered during the 2nd phase of the 5th Aliyah including 15,000 "illegal" immigrants, meaning without government permits in 1939-1940. These are the years that Jews were in mortal danger in Germany and the rest of Europe, and was when Germany went into Poland and the 2nd World War had started.
The British, bent on refusing entry to Jews into Palestine, immediately transferred the refugees to another much larger ship docked in Haifa Port, the SS Patria. The Patria was meant to transport them to a British detention camp in Mauritius. About 3 weeks later the Atlantic arrived, on 24 November. The immediate transfer of around 800 refugees. The next day, when about 850 were still to be transferred over from the Atlantic, there was a huge explosion on the Patria that ripped a gaping hole through the hull, sinking it within about 15 minutes. Everyone on board was blown into the water. More than 250 were drowned. The remaining 2000, including my aunt and uncle plus 4 year old Zeev and one month old baby Uri, somehow made it onto the quayside. Following this, the British ordered that all the refugees be interned in Atlit, a British detention camp, 12 miles south of Haifa. (The camp is now a museum of the history of illegal Jewish immigration to Palestine and was declared a National Heritage site in 1987.) Their intention was to procure a replacement vessel to take all the refugees to Mauritius. Arranging this took at least a couple of months and during that time — most unexpectedly — the British had a change of heart, ruling that all the Patria survivors would be permitted to remain in Palestine. Good news for the majority, but the 800 or so from the ship, Atlantic who hadn’t transferred onto the Patria, were transported some weeks later to a British detention camp in Mauritius until the end of the war.
On December 12, 1941, The Struma set out with 769 Romanian Jews making Aliyah to Palestine. It
was the last ship to leave, a cattle ship, commissioned by the Irgun. On the way, they were taken
to Turkey, who wound up towing them into the Black Sea on February 23,, 1942. It was the British
who kept them out of Palestine. There, the Stuma sunk when a torpedo from a Russian submarine
hit it. All died except one person. .
Exodus, Passengers on the deck of the refugee ship Exodus 1947 in Haifa. British
forces returned them to displaced persons camps in Germany, dramatizing the plight
of Holocaust survivors attempting to enter Palestine. Haifa, Palestine, July 18, 1947.
The 6th Aliyah of 1941-1947 was a period of struggle against restrictions on immigration.
Many tragic incidents were recorded of ships carrying Jews and being turned away with
the results of death for them, like the EXODUS, PATRIA, STRUMA, and during the
later years many intending immigration were interned in Cypress.
85,000 Jews arrived in this time, of whom 28,000 were "illegal immigrants."
There were 750,000 Jews in Israel when the state was established on May 14, 1948.
Free Jewish immigration was immediately proclaimed and the period of mass Aliyah
inaugurated. The survivors of Nazi rule in Central Europe, the internees in Cyprus,
the Jewries of countries behind the Iron Curtain, and the communities under Arab
rule, such as Yemen and Iraq were transferred to Israel under the auspices of the
Jewish Agency's Immigration Department. Jews have continued a steady
immigration since that time again reaching large numbers in the early 1970's and
since 1989 with mass Aliyah from the USSR. My husband and I were in the 1980
group with many Russians, a few Americans, Canadians, English, etc. It was like a
smorgasbord of different people who thankfully, spoke English. The Russians were
former English teachers, of which their English was as poor as my Hebrew. We all
sat in classes together learning Hebrew. Russians were excellent students. They
were used to learning languages. We Americans were not as good, but we knew our
English!
Total immigration figures for the period 1948-1990 were as follows:
1948-101,819 War 1956-36,324 Sinai War 1964-54,716
1949-239,076 1957-71,224 1965-30,736
1950-170,215 1958-27,082 1966-15,730
1951-175,129 1959-23,895 1967-14,327 Six Day War
1952- 24,369 1960-24,510 1968-20,544
1953- 11,326 1961-47,638 1969-20,544
1954-18,370 1962-60,328 1970-36,750
1955-37,348 1963-64,634 1971-41,980
1972-55,888 1981-12,599 1990-199,526
1973-54,886 1982-13,723 1991-175,000
1974-31,979 1983-16,906
1975-20,028 1984-19,984
1976-19,754 1985-10,642
1977-21,429 1986- 9,505
1978-26,594 1987-12,965
1979-37,222 1988-13,304
1980-20,428 1989-24,050
We graduated and got a job in Safed in 1981. While driving up there, our driver pointed to a building on the right side of the road and told us that two weeks before, a bomb had landed in their yard. I told my dog, Blintz, that we were not in Oregon any more....Yikes.
Jews hearing of the White Paper over loud speakers on Jaffa Road in Palestine's Tel Aviv 1939
The British's act of anti- Semitism held power over the Turks in a 1942 disaster to 781 Jewish refugees in the ship, Struma. The cause of this anti- Semitism was THE WHITE PAPER written in 1939.
This was at the onset of World War I. Germany had clamped down on their Jews in every way. Their citizenship had been eliminated. Many were now fleeing for free countries. Britain came up at an inopportune time with this statement of Palestine policy of which they held the mandate. Malcolm MacDonald had submitted it after the failure of conversations by the British with Jewish and Arab delegations.
For a country who gave the USA and Israel their basis of Democracy, for a country who freed their slaves way before the USA did, they have shown more anti-Semitism and at a time of the Jewish need to have a friend. It was their need for oil that determined a need far greater than the lives of Jews to them. England had first come up with the Balfour Declaration, an official statement issued on November 2, 1917. It was written by the British foreign secretary, Arthur James BALFOUR, and declared that the British government favors the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
"On July 24, 1922, the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, issued a formal recognition of the Jewish nation’s connection to the Land of Israel, and approved the decision to establish a Jewish national homeland in the historical Land of Israel." By July 24, 1922, the Balfour Declaration was accepted by the League of Nations who all voted for the creation of the Jewish National Home. They had been created to deal with the affects of WWI, never realizing that WWII was right around the corner in the 1930s starting in Germany again. "The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was more than 41 million: there were over 18 million deaths and 23 million wounded, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.
These Jewish ladies in Palestine demonstrated against the White Paper. They fully understand its consequences.
Jewish lives did not matter, and there was no movement, except in tiny quarters of Palestine of Jews who all cared.
The White Paper declared the British intention of setting up in 10 years an independent Palestinian state in which Jews and Arabs would participate in the government proportionately to their numbers. This is not what was decided by the League of Nations when they awarded Britain with the mandate over Palestine. It was with the direction that they should help Jews to create a Jewish National Homeland.
As it has turned out, Israel, by Israel's own decision, have included Arabs as citizens and they are in the government. Israel is the only Jewish state in the world.
33rd American President Harry Truman with Chaim Weizmann Truman was president from 1945 to 1953, voted at UN for Israel as a state Roosevelt was president from 1933 to 1945
Britain let the world know through this White Paper what their new direction will be. They had become very gracious to Arabs, due to the discovery of oil in the Middle East and the fact that they can see another world war progressing with a need for oil. They seem to have discarded the knowledge that it was Chaim Weizmann, chemist, a leader of proposing a Jewish State out of the fallen Ottoman Empire that invented the power to make British ammunition much more effective than other ammunitions which helped them to win the 1st world war in the first place. He had invented acetone-butyl.
Weizmann and Feisal
It was Weizmann who received the Balfour Declaration of a Jewish Homeland out of the Ottoman holdings of Palestine and had worked with Emir Feisal, most powerful Arab in the Middle East of the day. This was a slap in the face to the Jewish leaders who had worked so hard to gain their ancient land back.
WWII started September 1, 1939 and ended September 2, 1945
The White Paper of 1939 was set up to only allow 75,000 Jews to enter over 5 years to 1944 which would be the end of WWII. After 1944, Jewish immigration would only be allowed on the Arab's agreement - or permission. Land sales to Jews would be restricted or forbidden in the majority of the country.
STRUMA in Istanbul Port 1942
The Zionist movement aroused fierce opposition but the White Paper did the damage and guided British policy in the coming years, anyway. Jews who needed to enter were kept out of Palestine when they needed it the most. For instance, the story of the ship, Struma, is a perfect example. The death of these 781 Jews is on the British head just as Germany has had the deaths of the other 6 million who lost their lives because of their anti-Semitism.
Romanian Jews were facing death at the start of WWII. Palestine, the future Jewish Homeland, was their only hope as other countries were closing their doors to Jews-one reason being they didn't have baptismal certificates that Christians would have. So in 1941, two Jewish groups; the New Zionist Organization and the Betar Zionist Youth Movement pooled their money and chartered the ship, STRUMA, to take Jewish refugees from Romania to Palestine She left Romania on December 12, 1941 with a crew of 10 and 781 refugees. Her diesel engine wasn't working so a tug towed her out to sea. She drifted overnight while her crew tried in vain to start her engine. After failing, the crew sent SOS signals and the next day the ship returned to the harbor and the tug's crew repaired the engine but for more money. The refugees gave up their wedding rings in exchange for the repair job.
The Struma got under way but the engine failed again by December 15th and this time she was towed into Istanbul's port in Turkey. The Turkish mechanics failed at repairing the engine. 10 weeks went by with British diplomats and Turkish officials talking about the refugees. There was unrest going on in Palestine with Arabs attacking Jewish towns. The German attitude towards Jews had permeated the Arab communities. German literature was very popular with Arabs. The White Paper from the British also caused unrest towards the Jews. Britain was determined to keep Jewish immigration to a minimum. Turkey, under British pressure, denied the refugees permission to come ashore. Only one lady who had suffered a miscarriage was allowed to leave the ship and was taken to an Istanbul hospital.
Over two months had gone by with all passengers remaining on the ship from the 15th of December to the 23rd of February when the Turkish authorities boarded the Struma to see her dead engine. They had her towed back to the Black Sea and cast her adrift about 10 miles from their shore of Istanbul. The Turkish captain was "maritime Captain Ahmet Erdogan, father of today's Turkish leader."
On the next morning of February 24th, the Soviet submarine, Shch-213 torpedoed her and she sank quickly. Many people were trapped below decks and drowned. Other aboard survived the sinking and held onto pieces of wreckage waiting to be saved. However, no one wanted to save them. The idea of the British and Turks no doubt was to give them a quick death. All died from either drowning or hypothermia. Blame of deaths besides the captain is also on that of fellow Istanbul Port workers, for their failure to oppose and prevent perpetration of a war-crime by Turkish hands, namely: Causing the sinking of the STRUMA and consequent massdrowning of its 765 Jewish passengers (including 100 children)."
Struma's First Officer held onto a piece of floating wreckage along with a 19 year old refugee, David Stoliar. The older crewmate died that night but Turks in a rowing boat rescued Stoliar the next day. He was the only survivor of the 791 people who were aboard.
Struma's wreck has never been found. Some tried to find it in 2000 but it was unsuccessful.
Research: Research: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Struma
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/league-of-nations
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Issues/Pages/94th-anniversary-of-the-League-of-Nations-affirmation-of-Jewish-self-determination-24-July-2016.aspx
A. Zigelman's forward from Karl Huttenbuer of Berlin http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2019/02/16/this-day-in-history-feburary-16-2019/ from V. Sharpe
Jews were lucky if they were on the last ship out of Germany in 1939 which my uncle had boarded. The Nazis were taking over Europe. It was on February 24, 1942 when the ship, Struma was sunk in the Black Sea by the Soviet Navy's torpedoes. It had been carrying 769-781 Jewish passengers who were refugees from Romania, a country that had been taken over by Germany. The ship had been procured through the Irgun, the Jewish Underground in Palestine, and left Romania on December 12, 1941, the last ship to leave Europe. They were headed for Palestine, a country that was designated in 1917 to be the Jewish National Home. Britain had been given the Mandate to carry this out and allow Jews to enter. However, they were going along with the head Arab, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who was connected to the Nazis, and had issued their White Paper which kept Jews out of Palestine.
The Jews had to pay a very large fee to board the ship. This had been happening all over Germany to Jews trying to get out. Money had become everything as the ticket to escape. If you didn't have enough, you were stuck. The Jews in this case were told they would be sailing on a renovated boat with a short stop in Istanbul, Turkey to collect their Palestinian immigration visas. The Romanian government of Ion Antonescu had approved the voyage.
Each person was allowed to take 44 lbs of luggage with him. The Romanian customs officers took many of their valuables and other possessions, even food that they had brought with them. They weren't allowed to see the ship before the day of the voyage and when they finally did, saw that she was a wreck with only 2 lifeboats. it had turned out to be a very old 180-ton cattle boat that was built in 1867. It had been re-engined with a 2nd hand diesel engine and was only 148.4 feet long. Below deck, there were dorms with bunks for 40 to 120 people in each. The berths were bunks where passengers had to sleep 4 abreast with 2 feet width for each person.
When she was still at anchor, British diplomats and the Turkish officials had a discussion about the fate of these passengers as the British considered the ship as illegal. Britain was determined to go with their White Paper of 1939 to minimize Jewish immigration to Palestine. Even though the Jews' fate was death in Romania,, the British diplomats urged the Turkish government of Refik Saydam to prevent the Struma from taking this voyage. Turkey refused to allow the passengers to get off the ship when they docked. While the Struma was being detained in Istanbul, they ran short of food. Soup was only cooked twice a week and supper was an orange and some peanuts for each person. At night each child was given one serving of milk.
Weeks went by. Finally the British agreed to honor the expired Palestinian visas that a few passengers had and they were allowed to continued onto Palestine by overland. A few others managed to escape from the ship with the help of some friends. One woman was taken to an Istanbul hospital after miscarrying. By February 12th, British officials agreed that children age 11 to 16 would be given Palestinian visas, but there was an argument as to how they would get there because the UK wouldn't sent a ship for them and Turkey wouldn't allow them to travel overland. Everything was at an impasse.
On the 23rd of February 1942, a small party of the Turkish police tried to board the ship but the refugees wouldn't let them aboard. That brought out a force of 80 policemen who surrounded Struma with motor boats and finally boarded the ship after 1/2 hour. The police detached Struma's anchor and attached her to a tug which towed her out into the Black Sea. The Jewish refugees hung signs overboard that said, "SAVE US." in English and in Hebrew. The engine wouldn't start and the Turks abandoned the ship in the Black Sea 10 miles north of the Bosphorus, where she drifted helplessly.
Along came a submarine and torpedoed this unprotected enemy vessel. There was a loud explosion and it sunk. The sub was the Soviet submarine Skheh-213 that had sunk the Turkish vessel Cankaya the evening before. The Struma sank quickly and many people were trapped below decks and drowned. Others aboard survived the sinking and clung to pieces of the wreckage, but for hours no rescue came and all but one died from drowning or hypothermia. More than 100 were children. Struma's First Officer, Lazar Dikof , and a 19 year old refugee, David Stoliar, clung to a cabin door that was floating in the sea. The Officer died but Turks in a rowboat rescued Stoliar and next day. He was the only survivor. Turkey held him in custody for many weeks but released him after Britain gave him papers to go to Palestine.
The Jewish Underground in Palestine were so upset by this murder of so many that they put up wanted posters throughout Palestine accusing Sir Harold MacMichael of the murder. On June 9th, 1942, Lord Wedgwood opened the debate and urged that the mandate be turned over to the USA. He said, "I hope yet to live to see those who sent the Struma cargo back to the Nazis hung as high as Haman cheek by jowl with their prototype and Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler." A Jewish poet and British soldier, Emanuel Litvinoff, wrote a poem mourning the loss and betrayal of the Struma. He had volunteered in the British army to fight Nazis but now called the British khaki he wore his "badge of shame."
The Brits displayed obtuseness and insensitivity by locking the gates to Israel to Jewish refugees who needed a haven in the Land of Israel that was due to them. Throughout the war, nothing was done to stop the annihilation of the Jewish people.
Have the Brits changed their attitude towards the Jews? The latest news I have seen is that one of their clerks at the airlines refused a gentile man a ticket to Britain because his passport showed he had lived in Israel for a period of time while going to school. The same attitude is alive and well with people in Britain.
Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struma_disaster
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/struma.html
http://www.cjnews.com/index.php?q=node/109966 refused entry to Britain because of passport with Israel on it.
