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Friday, August I, 1947
THE JEWISH NEWS
Poge
Epic Story of Exodus 1947
Eminent JTA Correspondent Rela#es
Heroic Leadership of 'Gentile Rabbi'
An Interview with the Rev. John S. Grauel- of Worcester,`'
Mass., Who Accompanied the 4,600 Visaless Jewish
Immigrants Aboard the Haganah-Sponsored Vessel
By GEROLD FRANK
(Copyright, 1947, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
JERUSALEM—This is a story to be told again wherever
men speak of freedom. It is the story of a man of God who
. believes that the fight for man's dignity must be fought for
at the barricades, as well as in the pulpit. It is the tale of the
"gentile rabbi," the 29-year-old John Grauel, a minister of
Worcester, Mass. •
••••
He shipped seven months ago, pregnant women became seasick,
as a mess boy, and became the and we had quite a time.
British Maneuvers
fabulous leader of the 4,600 Jews
"When the British destroyers
aboard the Exodus 1947, which
the British seized July 18 as it caught up with us, one of them
approached Palestine. It required pulled alongside and an officer
four destroyers, and the storied megaphoned, 'If you try to reach
cruiser Ajax, which attacked the Palestine, you will break the law.'
Graf Spee, to subdue the tiny Often they were dangerously
4,000 - ton. broken - down lake close to us—at one time the Ajax
steamer, which has become a sym- very close—and I megaphoned
bol of all the battles of the Jews that the craft was violating inter-
national law by moving so close
to reach Palestine.
The Rev. Grauel arrived here to the side- of our ship. I shouted
from Haifa, despite the orders of that there would be a disaster
the police, who sought to jail him and to please draw away. The
overnight after the ship was Ajax did so, but that was the first
brought into that port, but when and last time that the British took
he refused arrest, and asserted our advice.
"We left our Italian port on
the authorities would have to jail
him by physical force—and that July 11. A week later, a destroyer
he was a United States citizen came alongside and an officer
with a visa for Palestine—they shouted, 'You are now in the ter-
permitted him to -go to a Haifa ritorial waters of Palestine.' This
hotel, with orders to return to was not so, since we were 17 miles
from the shores of Palestine at
police headquarters.
Instead, he - came to Jerusalem that time.
"The captain of the Exodus
to present his case to the Ameri-
(Bernard Marks, of Cincinnati,
can consul here.
(The minister, who was com- now under British arrest in
pelled to leave Palestine by the Haifa) ordered us to turn West,
British, is now en route to the away from Palestine. Later, the
British admitted- that they as-
United States.)
sumed they were in Palestine ter-
`The Boy Was Murdered'
In an interview with this cor- ritorial waters by a cursory glance
respondent, he was • obviously at their radar screen."
The Great Climax
shaken by his experiences, and
"Then:" Rev. Grauel said,
particularly by the news that one
member of the crew of 60 Ameri- "came the climax of an experi-
can Jewish boys had died from ence which will live in my mind
the clubbing by British sailors forever.
"We had three dozen huge
who boarded the ship after the
cruiser had rammed her seven
times outside Palestine territorial Florence Rubinstein
waters. One of the dead, William
Bernstein of Los Angeles, a form- Becomes Bride of
er' Navy officer, was the Rev. Louis Hoffman
G ra ue I's_closest friend aboard
ship.
"That boy was murdered," he
said. He pulled from his pocket a
small box and said, showing it to
this writer, "Here is a rosary we
bought together in Italy for his
sweetheart—she is a Catholic."
The priest said that the trip
began last January in Baltimore
where an American crew volun-
teered to work the ship. The crew
was bottled up in port until late
February because of the difficulty
of obtaining a South American
flag. They finally set sail, but met
difficulty in the Azores because
the British informed the Portu-
guese that the ship was under
way and ordered the port authori-
ties not to permit the ship to re-
fuel. He said the craft finally ob-
tained oil through "friends," and
later went to an Italian port for
outfitting.
Challenge to Italians
"One night we heard the sound
MRS. LOUIS HOFFMAN
of motors," he continued. "We
Florence Rubinstein, daughter
discovered that on British orders
of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rubin-
an Italian gunboat had been stein of Gladstone Ave., became
moored directly across our bows, the bride of Louis Hoffman,' son
and Italian navy officers told us of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Hoffman
that if we tried to depart they of Pasadena Ave. at a recent
would fire. We expected to be weddin'g at Bnai David Syna-
there three weeks but were gogue.
trapped for seven weeks. Finally,
The bride- wore a gown of
I wrote a letter to the Italian Gov- tulle and satin, with a fingertip
ernment, asserting that we were veil falling from a wreath - of
American citizens, threatening lilies of the valley. She carried
dire consequences and citing the a bouquet of white roses and
name of every important person lilies of the valley.
I knew in the United States.
Jane Suit attended the bride as
"That night the gunboat moved maid of honor, with Mrs. Harry.
just enough to allow us to slip Hoffman and Mrs. David Rubin-
through.
stein as bridesmaids.
"The trip was uneventful for
Ben Hoffman was best man,
several days, except for the birth and the ushers were Dr. Barry
of twins," the priest related. Near- Hoffman and David Rubinstein.
ly one-fourth of the women pass-
A dinner and reception follow-
engers were pregnant. We made it ed the ceremony. Out-of-town
more
than
guests attended from New York
a rule that women
seven months pregnant would not and Canada.
allowed
to
go
on
the
voyage,
The newlyweds honeymooned
be
but the rule was unenforceable. at Potawatami Inn in Indiana,
We had four doctors aboard. and then motored to New York
When the sea became rough, the City.
Stars of David flying in a sharp
wind. Powerful searchlights from
the British warships played on
them, making them stand out
brilliantly. On deck all our young
people were standing poised for
action, armed with potatoes and a
variety of tin cans. Their heads
were thrown back proudly. At
this moment our ship's -whistle
began its shrill,' almost eerie
screaming. Thus, with the Jewish
flags streaming in the sharp wind,
outlined brilliantly by a score of
penetrating searchlights, and
deafening us all, our ship's whistle
screaming 'shrilly, we stood by,
prepared to receive the ramming
of two British cruisers, which
came suddenly—and startlingly.
"Using twin screws, the ships
smashed with terrific force against
our two sides. Everyone was
thrown to the deck by the force
of the collision. With the whistle
still screaming, from below decks
we heard the panicky cries of the
women and children and older
people, many of whom had been
living on flimsily-constructed tiers
which were collapsing on all sides,
sending them sprawling to the
floors.
British-Made Inferno
"While we were all still stunned
by the collision, the British began
dropping drawbridges across our
sides and, throwing gas bombs to
clear the way, they stormed across
to board our vessel. The scene
was that of an inferno.
"The British were wearing gas
masks and they were armed with
gas guns, gas grenades, pistols
and wooden clubs tipped with
steel bands. They rushed to the
bridge, and without warning fir •
two shots at the helmsman. They
shot one boy and clubbed another
(Bernstein, the American crew
member who later died of his
wounds.) Some of the sailors
smashed open a sea door, one of
them leaped through it and with-
out warning fired his pistol into a
group of devout Jews, members
of the Mizrachi faction, who were
deep in prayer at the time. His
shots hit two children.
"Everywhere about me were
people with smashed heads and
hands. When the tear gas first
'touches you it seems like a soaring
flame is piercing the skin.
"After the first attack, our
water system was destroyed. In
the galley I found a 'settle of cof-
fee still warm. We added milk and
used this to bathe our tear gassed
eyes. ,
"In a matter of seconds our hos-
pital was filled with blood-soaked
people.
"It was a nightmare of smash-
ings, -for during all this time .the
British cruisers were repeatedly
ramming us. They did this seven
times.
Potatoes as Weapons
"Had the British rammed us an
eighth time, the Exodus 1947 and
its 4,600 passengers would be at
the bottom of the Mediterranean
today.
"During all this, one of our boys
suddenly rushed up to me, shout-
ing 'I've captured four limeys—
what'll- I do?' I found the four
beaten and ordered them into my
fo'castle where I gave them some
cognac and cigarettes and told
MISS DOROTHY 'LEVENSON
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Levenson
of 2661 Clements announce the
engagement of their daughter,
Dorothy, to Ernest Mendelsohn,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Men-
delsohn of 2219 Taylor. A Novem-
ber wedding is being planned.
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in my cabin agreed to our terms,
and so we made our way to
Haifa."
Grauel, a correspondent of The
Churchman, said the-British com-
mitted "piracy," attacking the
Exodus 1947 on the high seas out-
side Palestine territorial waters.
He said he was unable to find
words to express his admiration
and love kir the passengers who
he said, "waited 10 years in Eu-
rope, and who are ready to wait
two years on Cyprus, confident
that their case will be met sooner
or later with jUstice.
"For me it was an experience
for which 1 am humble, but which
I want• the whole world to know
of, exactly as it was. For seven
months I prepared for those few
hours. I have seen a people and
I have seen men and women and
children of such bravery and such
spit% that I cannot find words to
expreis myself."
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them to be silent. One was an
officer who removed his epaul-
ettes.
"The battle continued, with our
boys hurling potatoes, tin cans,
anything that came to hand, at
the British. We were singing all
the time at the top of our voices.
But, learning that one of our boys
was dying; and in order to save
lives, we agreed to allow the
British to take over our ship, on
condition, that navigation would
remain in bur hands. The officer
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