Curriculum & Programming

Future Options for Young People, dateline 1936:

Background information for Simulation

I. For the Role Cards

For Card IVC

6. "Illegal" Immigration - Ha'apalah (Aliyah Bet) 1934-1948

Ha'palah means the clandestine immigration of Jews to Eretz Yisrael. This kind of immigration began under Ottoman (Turkish) rule. From 1882 onward the Turks did not permit Jews from Eastern Europe to settle in Eretz Yisrael, with rare exceptions. Under British rule (1918-1948), the immigration quotas fixed by the British Administration [1916-18] and the British Mandatory Administration of Palestine, failed to respond to the pressure of pioneers seeking to settle in the country and Jews fleeing from distress and persecution.

The rise of Hitler increased the pressure for aliyah. In 1934, the first organized efforts at clandestine immigration by sea were attempted. The HeHalutz movement chartered the Greek ship "Vellos" and, with the aid of Haganah members, landed some 350 "illegal" immigrants - ma'apilim. In the years 1937-1939, Revisionist and Betar groups sent out several ships, which transported several thousands of immigrants.

Late in 1938, the "Organization for illegal immigration"* - the Mossad* - was set up by the Haganah, under the leadership of Shaul Avigur*. During the Second World War, legal immigration dwindled to a trickle. The British Navy kept constant watch on the refugee boats trying to reach the gates of Palestine. Some of the boats were fired on as they approached the coast; some were turned back; 3 sank; 21 boats in all completed the voyage, carrying some 15,000 refugees.

During the war years the Mossad organized clandestine immigration by overland routes, mainly from the Middle East. After the War, large- scale operations at sea were resumed by the Mossad, the immigrants being mainly refugee-survivors of European Jewry who had escaped by way of the berihah* rescue operation and reached the shores of Italy, France, Rumania, Yugoslavia and Greece. In the years from 1945 to 1948, 65 "illegal" immigrant boats embarked for Palestine. Most of the boats were intercepted by the British, the passengers transferred to detention camp at Atlit*. From August 1946, the British began deporting the immigrants to detention camps in Cyprus*. The struggle for the right of free immigration reached its peak in summer 1947 with the voyage of Exodus*.

Between 1934 and 1948 some 115,000 ma'apilim were brought into the country in defiance of British restrictions, while another 51,000 were interned by the British authorities in Cyprus and admitted only after independence.

For Card IVD:

a. The Haganah

The underground military organization of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael from 1920 to 1948. The Arab riots in 1920 and 1921 (*q.v., see also Tel Hai) strengthened the view that it was impossible to depend upon the British authorities and that the yishuv needed to create an independent defense force completely free of foreign authority. In June 1920, the Haganah was founded.

During the first nine years of its existence, the Haganah was a loose organization of local defense groups in the large towns and in several of the settlements. The Arab riots in 1929 (q.v.) brought about a complete change in the Haganah's status.

• It became a large organization encompassing nearly all the youth and adults in the settlements, as well as several thousand members from each of the cities.
• It initiated a comprehensive training program for its members, ran officers' training courses;
• established central arms depots into which a continuous stream of light arms flowed from Europe.
• Simultaneously, the basis was laid for the underground production of arms.

1936-1939, the years of the Arab Revolt, were the years in which the Haganah matured and developed from a militia into a military body. Although the British administration did not officially recognize the organization, the British Security Forces cooperated with it by establishing civilian militia (see Jewish Settlement Police - J.S.P., and also, Jewish Auxiliary Police - ghafirs). In the summer of 1938 Sepcial Night Squads - S.N.S. were extablished, under the command of Captain Orde Wingate* (see also Plugot Sadeh, Yitzhak Sadeh*).

During the years of the riots, the Haganah protected the establishment of over 50 new settlements in new area of the country (see Homa Umigdal - Tower and Stockade Settlements). As a result of the British government anti-Zionist policy, expressed in the White Paper of 1939, the Haganah supported illegal immigration and organized demonstrations against the British anti-Zionist policy.

With the outbreak of World War II, the Haganah was faced with new problems. It headed a movement of volunteers, from which Jewish units were formed for service in the British army (see Jewish Brigade Group). It also cooperated with British intelligence units and sent its personnel out on various commando missions in the Middle East. Another example of this cooperation was the dropping of 32 Jewish parachutists in 1943-44 behind enemy lines in the Balkans, Hungary and Slovakia. Europe (see also Hannah Szenesh*, Enzo Sereni*, Haviva Reik*).

At the same time, the Haganah further strengthened its independent basis during the war. A systematic program of training was instituted for the youth of the country. In 1941, the Haganah's first mobilized regiment, the Palmach came into being. At the end of the war, when it became clear that the British government had no intention of altering its anti-Zionist policy, the Haganah began an open, organized struggle against British Mandatory rule in the framework of a unified Jewish Resistance Movement, consisting of Haganah, Irgun Zevai Le'umi - Etzel*, and Lohamei Herut Yisrael - Lehi*.

Haganah branches were established at Jewish D.P. [displaced person] camps in Europe and Haganah members accompanied the "illegal" immigrant boats. In the spring of 1947, David Ben Gurion* took it upon himself to direct the general policy of the Haganah, especially in preparation for impending Arab attack. On May 26 1948, the Provisional Government of Israel decided to transform the Haganah into the regular army of the State, to be called "Zeva Haganah Le-Yisrael" - The Israel Defense Forces.

For Card IVE:

b. Irgun Zeva'i Le'umi - "The National Military Organization" (abbr. Etzel, I.Z.L.)

Armed Jewish underground organization, founded in 1931 by a group of Haganah commanders, who left the Haganah in protest against its defense charter. In April 1937, during the Arab riots, the organization split - about half its members returned to the Haganah. The rest formed a new Irgun Zeva'i Le'umi (abbr. Etzel), which was ideologically linked with the Revisionist Movement and accepted the authority of its leader, Vladimir Jabotinsky*.

Etzel rejected the "restraint" policy of the Haganah and carried out armed reprisals against Arabs, which were condemned by the Jewish Agency. Many of its members were arrested by the British authorities; one of them, Shlomo Ben Yosef, was hanged for shooting an Arab bus. After the publication of the White Paper in May 1939, Etzel directed its activities against the British Mandatory autorities.

At the outbreak of World War II, the organization declared a truce, which led to a second split (see Lohamei Herut Yisrael). Etzel members joined the British Army's Palestinian units and later the Jewish Brigade.

From 1943 Etzel was headed by Menahem Begin*. In February 1944, Etzel declared war against the British administration. It attacked and blew up government offices, military installations and police stations. The Jewish Agency and the Haganah moved against the Etzel in a campaign nicknamed the Sezon. Etzel joined the Jewish Resistance Movement and after its disintegration in August 1946, Etzel continued attacks on British military and government objectives.

In April 1947, four members of the organization were hanged in Acre prison. In May 1947, Etzel broke into the fortress at Acre and freed 41 prisoners. In July 1947, when 3 other Etzel members were executed, the I.Z.L. hanged two British sergeants.

After the Declaration of Independence, the Etzel high command offered to disband the organization and integrate its members into the army of the new Jewish state. Full integration was achieved in September 1948.

c. Lohamei Herut Yisrael (abbr. Lehi)

Armed underground organization founded by Abraham Stern* in June 1940, after the Irgun Zeva'i Le'umi decided on a truce on armed activities against the British during the war. Lehi declared a continuation of the struggle against the British, opposed the voluntary enlistment of Jews into British Army, and even attempted to contact representatives of the Axis.

During January and February 1942, clashes between members of the °Stern group° and the British authorities reached their peak. The British forces reacted by arresting and killing leading members of the group. Abraham Stern* himself was caught and killed by British police officers. In early 1944, Lehi resumed its operations, joining in the struggle against the British through affiliation to the Jewish Resistance Movement. During and after this period, Lehi carried out sabotage operations and armed attacks on British military objectives and government installations. In April 1947, Lehi began organizing sabotage operations outside Palestine, mailing bombs to British statesmen.

In May 29, 1948, two weeks after the establishment of the State of Israel, members of Lehi joined the Israeli army. In Jerusalem, however, they continued to fight separately. After the assassination of the U.N. mediator, Count Folke Bernadotte, in Jerusalem in September 1948, an act which a group of Lehi members were suspected of carrying out, the Israeli authorities enforced the final disbanding of Lehi in Jerusalem. Lehi ceased to exist.

II For the Conclusion

5. The Fifth Aliyah (1929 - 1939)

The Fifth Aliyah brought in over 250,000 Jews and transformed the character of the yishuv. The olim came from different countries: Poland, Germany, Austria, Romania, Greece, Yemen and Iraq.

The Fifth Aliyah had begun with a small trickle in 1929, but in 1933 - when Hitler rose to power in Germany - the trickle became a flood. In the period between 1933-36, more than 164,000 Jews entered the country legally, while thousands of refugees came as "illegal" immigrants (see illegal immigration - ha'apalah*).

The majority of them (80%) settled in the cities and towns and their skills and experience raised business standards and improved urban amenities. Over half the newcomers made their homes in Tel Aviv*. In Haifa*, the construction of the country first modern port was completed in 1933, while in Jerusalem*, the Jewish neighborhoods were largely expanded.

The German and Austrians Jews - over a quarter of the total - made an important contribution to the progress of the yishuv. They constituted the first large-scale influx from Western and Central Europe. A relatively high proportion of the newcomers from Germany and Austria practiced medicine or one of the academic professions; they provided a majority of the musicians who formed the new Philharmonic Orchestra.

20% of the immigrants contributed to the establishment of new moshavot (see moshava) such as Kfar Yanai*, Havazzelet HaSharon*; moshavim (see moshav) such as Kfar Vitkin*, Avihayil*; and kibbutzim (see kibbutz): such as Kfar Hayyim, Ma'barot.

In the years 1936-39, 53 new settlements -- mostly kibbutzim -- were established by a method known as Homa Umigdal - tower and stockade.

In 1933 a new type of immigration, called Youth Aliyah, was started. This Aliyah was largely financed by Hadassah and organized by its leader, Henrietta Szold*.

On the eve of World War II, the Jewish population in Palestine was 475,000 -- some 40% of the population.

III. The Youth Movements

We present below some extra background on the youth movements mentioned. Note that amost all were involved in the founding of kibbutzim and settlement etc. in the period under debate.

Betar

Founded 1923 in Riga as Brit Trumpeldor, shortened to "Betar". Part of the "Revisionist" movement of Zionism, inspired by Vladimir Jabotinsky, counting almost 100,000 members in 26 countries by 1939. There are 7 main tenets of ideology, with emphasis on statehood, self-defense, mobilization and dignity. Betar provided the main cadres of Etzel.

Bnei Akiva

Founded 1929 by the HaPo'el HaMizrahi movement. Named for the sage Rabbi Akiva. Movement ideals are based on Torah and pioneering [agriculture, settlement], it is a religious zionist movement.

Habonim

Founded 1925 as Brit Ha'Olim, Habonim is a pioneering labor movement. It played a major role in Zionism and aliyah in pre-Nazi Germany; est. 1928 in Britain and 1935 in N. America.

Hashomer Hatzair

Founded 1916 from two Galician movements - Tzeirei Tzion and HaShomer. Its ideology is socialist and also inspired by AD Gordon, Trumpeldor. It emphasized from the outset: Hebrew, pioneering, organized settlement in Eretz Yisrael, self-development. Its Polish centers accounted for 70,000 members by 1939 and were active in defense and resistance.

Hehalutz

A settlement movement founded after the turn of the century outside Eretz Yisrael, led by Ussishkin, Ben Gurion, Ben Zvi. Founded in US 1905. Banned in Russia in 1934, it moved headquarters to Warsaw - 41, 000 members in Poland in 1933. Also prominent in Rumania.

Maccabi

Founded 1921 on ideals of pioneering, promotion of Jewish identity, Jewish unity. It was inspired by Nordau and operates through clubs which were largely Europe-based in the pre-war period. Founded the Maccabiah Games.

More information

The Zionist Century: http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/100/

Concepts / Struggle & Defense I / Aliya / /

Youth Movements: see also Junior Encyclopedia Judaica

[Next] [Activities] [Zionist Century] [Homepage]