Harry Weinsaft: "There would
never be a State of Israel if we
waited for the world."

01'111

IVA

be a little bit meshugeh."
xodus 1947 — the ship
It was this conviction that led
brought 4,500 refugees out
them to the Exodus. Born in Vienna,
of Europe to Eretz Yisrael,
Harry was fortunate to emigrate to
and spawned a book and a
the United States in 1939. He joined
film which helped to shape
the U.S. Army and became a U.S.
America's image of the newborn
citizen in 1942. In 1944, in Florence,
State of Israel.
Italy, while on the way to an army
We are approaching the 40th
Seder, he saw a convoy of British
anniversary of the ship Exodus. It
trucks with Hebrew writing. As the
was only one of many illegal ships
last truck was driving past, Weinsaft
trying to run the British blockade of
yelled "Shalom." The truck stopped
Palestine before and especially after
and the soldiers told him they were
World War II. But in 1947 it was the
part of the British Army's "Jewish
largest ship with the largest number
Brigade." Invited to their Seder,
of refugees. It also focused world at-
Weinsaft discovered many of his
tention on the plight of the refugees
boyhood friends who had left Vienna
and the need for a Jewish homeland.
for Palestine before the war. But it
The anniversary of the Exodus
was not a happy reunion. "We felt
is being remembered in many parts
helpless," Weinsaft said.." We were
of the United States because of its
having a Seder and less than 100
American crew. They were American
miles away there were concentration
volunteers, mostly Jews, who were
camps."
veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Their feelings of helplessness
Two of the crew, Bernie Marks of
had a tremendous effect upon Wein-
Cincinnati, Ohio, and Harry Wein-
saft. He took his discharge in Europe
saft of Detroit, remember the events
and went to work for the Joint Dis-
vividly. Marks was first officer of the
tribution Committee helping to ad-
Exodus and Weinsaft was security
minister one of the displaced persons
officer.
camps outside of Vienna.
It (the movie and novel) was a
"I was a refugee myself. I re-
catalyst in the history of the Jewish
member seeing the camps being
people. (Author) Leon Uris told the
cleared out at Mathausen and
story very dramatically — but it
Dachau. Up till then I didn't know
wasn't the true story of the Exodus,"
what went on in the camps. (Grow-
said Weinsaft.
ing. up,) I saw Jews being beaten up
"We found out that there would
on the streets of Vienna. I saw signs
never be a State of Israel if we
saying, 'Dirty Jew go to Palestine,'
waited for the world. If I am not for
but I didn't realize what it was."
myself who will be for me? If not
At the JDC, he met many of the
now, when?' So we did it ourselves."
same men with whom he "shared the
"We wanted to strike back, said
Seder in 1944. Now, they were the
Marks. "We were ordinary men in
leaders of the Haganah. One, Arthur
extraordinary circumstances. We
Ben Nathan, the head of Bricha, an
were all nuts, but we were dedi-
arm of the Haganah whose purpose
cated. We were Jews. Who the hell
was to "gather the exiles" and pre-
else was going to do this? You had to
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
- 14 Friday, September 5, 1986

pare them to emigrate to Palestine,
urged him to join. Ben Nathan told
Weinsaft, "The war is just beginning
for you, Jew boy, and I want you
with us."
In 1946, the Haganah sent
Weinsaft to New York to acquire
arms, ships and funds. He was met
by Teddy Kollek and Yehuda Harzi,
who were planning the largest mis-
sion ever to run the British block-
ade. They had secured the ship
President Warfield, which was tied
up in Norfolk, Virginia. "Our pur-
pose was to put pressure on the
British and the world," said Wein-
saft.
Marks joined the crew of the
Warfield/EXodus in Norfolk. He had
served on two previous refugee ships
after becoming involved in the
Zionist movement after the war at
the University of Cincinnati. "I was
getting more and more angry as I
started to learn the history," he said.
As a deck officer in the U.S. Mer-
chant Marines, he was in the Ger-
man port of Bremerhaven in 1945
when he met a small man pulling a
wagon. "He took me to some bombed
out place. I saw a tiny, emaciated
little boy with a number on his arm.
Then I began to know what hap-
pened. Seeing that number ... that
was a shock to me. And when you
read what they did ..."
Forty-five men with the same
feelings filled out the crew. These
were the men who had the job of
getting tbe President Warfield — a
Chesapeake Bay steamer — across
the Atlantic, and with refugees
aboard, to Palestine. They told the
sellers the Warfield would fly the
Honduran flag and be used as an ex-

Continued on Page 16

Forty years
seem like
yesterday
for a
crew member
of the 'Exodus'

JANICE ROSEN

Special to The Jewish News