98 - Today, 99 - Tomorrow, 100 Days on Monday, January 15th, 2024. Bring Them Home! Counting days, every Shabbat! NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.

I bleed like my brothers and sisters in Israel although I am a thousand kilometers away.

98 - Today, 99 - Tomorrow, 100 Days on Monday, January 15th, 2024. Bring Them Home! 

The first thought when I wake up on Shabbat morning is Bring Them Home. 

On Saturdays I wake up very early, some people call it the night. I always first think about THEM. I am thinking about their nights and days. Maybe their days are like nights without seeing the daylight. No contact with the civilized world, no hope of seeing their fathers, mothers, siblings, friends, etc... Counting days, every Shabbat!

"Never again" is a phrase with deep content that is associated with the lesson we Jews learned after the Holocaust. We know that NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.

The World's Pledge to "Never Again" is a failure. The last years of growing antisemitism in Europe and hate against the only democracy in the Middle East show how short memory is. In Sweden, it lasts for some hours on January 27.

105 Days, Next Shabbat.

I bleed like my brothers and sisters in Israel although I am a thousand kilometers away.

Start of S/S Ulua (S/S Haim Arlosoroff) story - Mediterranean, December 31, 1946 - Haganah Ship Number 123.

The start of S/S Ulua's story is the crossing Atlantic from the USA to the Mediterranean in 1946. After passing Gibraltar 

Marseille 1946. The start of S/S Ulua's story is the crossing Atlantic from the USA to the Mediterranean in 1946. After passing Gibraltar she headed to Marseille to be rebuilt to accommodate hundreds of Holocaust survivors.

In Marseille, structures were added to Ulua´s afterdeck to increase carrying capacity. It altered her silhouette which can be easily seen in the photos after Ulua left Marseille. In place of the flat afterdeck, a kind of poop deck was built. That deck formed the roof of a new cabin built in the rear. Mediterranean, February 1947.

The start of S/S Ulua's story is the crossing Atlantic from the USA to the Mediterranean in 1946. After passing Gibraltar she headed to Marseille to be rebuilt. Original map used 1946-1947 provided by the sons of  Captain of the Ulua ?.

USCGC Unalga (WPG-53) was a Miami-class cutter that served in the United States Revenue Cutter Service and later the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. The early part of her career was spent patrolling the Pacific coast of the United States and the Bering Sea. After 1931 she did patrol work off Florida and in the Caribbean.

Unalaga was decommissioned and turned over to the War Shipping Administration on the 10th of October 1945 and was sold on 19 July 1946. When sold in 1946 Unalga was renamed Ulua. S/S Ulua was bought to be used for moving Jewish Holocaust Survivors from Europe to Eretz Israel - Palestine.

The start of S/S Ulua's "Jewish story" was the crossing Atlantic from the USA to the Mediterranean in 1946. On October 15, 1946, S/S Ulua sailed from Baltimore to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, where fuel was loaded. This part of the trip took approximately 10 days. Thereafter, she left Ponta Delgada in the Azores, passed Gibraltar, and headed to Marseille to be rebuilt. This second part of the trip took probably one week.

S/S Ulua spent 7 weeks being retrofitted in Marseille and was renamed Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב. However, the new name, Haim Arlosoroff was never painted on the ship. Gad Hilb, took over as Captain on Haim Arlosoroff/Ulua.

In Marseille, structures were added to her after deck to increase carrying capacity, altering her silhouette that can be easily seen in the photos after Ulua left Marseille. In place of the flat afterdeck, a kind of poop deck was built. That deck formed the roof of a new cabin built in the rear. Several of the Haganah ships were rebuilt in that way.

Also, extra fuel tanks were added. Almost all interior walls were demolished to expand her interior, and wooden floors and tiers of wooden bunks were added to accommodate a thousand passengers. Bunks were similar to the ones the future passengers were already familiar with from the concentration camps.

From Marseille, she sailed with legal credentials, plus a cargo of four carloads of Canadian lumber, canned water, rations, bedding, 2,500 life preservers, 100 fire pumps, mess kits, and a few obstetrical packs. S/S Ulua sailed first east to the port of La Ciotat in France. It was probably to fool British intelligence that was watching the traffic in numerous Mediterranean Harbour. Thus, to stop the transfers of Holocaust survivors from Europe to Eretz Israel.

On December 31, 1946, S/S Ulua (Haim Arlosoroff, חיים ארלוזורוב) sailed from La Ciotat. She passed again Gibraltar and continued up to Sweden by way of the Skagerrat and Kattagat

Kreml czy Kraj - zmiany ideologi bursistów w Domu Sierot Korczaka i wystawa "Moi Ver" o twórczości Moszego Worobejszyca.

"Kosynierzy"* z Grochowa - lata 1920. We wrześniu 1939 roku kibuc Grochów został zbombardowany, a jego dobytek splądrowany. W 1940 roku udało się uzyskać zgodę okupacyjnych władz na reaktywację fermy. Kibuc z początku cieszył się nawet pewną przychylnością Niemców, na których Żydzi pracujący na roli robili wrażenie. Wśród osób odbudowujących kibuc z wojennych zniszczeń znaleźli się przyszli przywódcy powstania w getcie warszawskim – Mordechaj Anielewicz, Icchak Cukierman i Cywia Lubetkin. Grochów stał się ośrodkiem żydowskiej konspiracji, a także aprowizacyjnym wsparciem dla przeludnionego i głodującego getta. Nie trwało to jednak długo, w 1942 roku nowy zarządca zamknął gospodarstwo, a chalucom nakazał przeprowadzkę do getta.


W Domu Sierot Korczaka dominowała najpierw grupa bursistów z Haszomer Hacair. Pózniej jak większość z nich wyjechała do Kraju weszli na ich miejsce bursiści z lewicowym (moskiewskimi) poglądami. W gazecie Korczaka, Mały Przegląd, był na pierwszej stronie (na winiecie) mały Szomer prowadzący nasz naród. Kolonie letnie i Ferma Domu Sierot nazywane Różyczka to była typowa Hachszara. M.in. uprawa warzyw, sadzenie drzew i proste prace murarskie.


Na innym forum Wanda Lacrampe poruszyła sprawę Hachszary i kibucy przedwojennych w Polsce (istniały również takowe po wojnie). Okazało się że wiele osób z Drugiej generacji o tym wogóle nie wiedziało! Hachszara i kibuce zaktualizowała wystawa w Muzeum Warszawy pt. Moi Ver.

Mój wpis na Face Book: Historię kibucy, Hachszary i szomrowców wyciszali bundowcy i grupa nazywana "żonkilowcami". To chodzi o historię przed- i powojenną!

W Domu Sierot Korczaka dominowała najpierw grupa bursistów z Haszomer Hacair. Pózniej jak większość z nich wyjechała do Kraju weszli na ich miejsce bursiści z lewicowym (moskiewskimi) poglądami. W gazecie Korczaka, Mały Przegląd, był na pierwszej stronie (na winiecie) mały Szomer prowadzący nasz naród. Kolonie letnie i Ferma Domu Sierot nazywane Różyczka to była typowa Hachszara. M.in. uprawa warzyw, sadzenie drzew i proste prace murarskie.

Wystawa "Moi Ver" odkrywa nie tylko postać i twórczość Moszego Worobejszyca, fotografa, grafika, malarza lecz braki u tzw. Drugiej generacji w Polsce jeżeli chodzi o znajomosc przedwojennych kibucy i hachszary w Polsce. Mosze Worobejszyc ukończył studia w Bauhausie, działał w Paryżu i tam przyjął pseudonim Moi Ver. Wracał kilkakrotnie do Polski. Fotografował m.in. systematycznie Hachszary i kibuce..

Dzięki Mosze-Mojżesz Worobejczyk - Moshe Raviv - Moi Ver za tą lekcje historii pokolenia naszych rodziców.

Linki do "Fermy Rózyczka" i Hachszary rybackiej w Pinsku i Gdyni. 
https://jimbaotoday.blogspot.com/2022/08/ferma-rozyczka-alija-hachszary.html
https://jimbaotoday.blogspot.com/2022/08/zydowscy-rybacy-szkoleni-w-osrodkach.html


* Kosynierzy – żołnierze pieszych formacji ochotniczych i milicyjnych tworzonych na zasadzie pospolitego ruszenia w wojsku Tadeusza Kościuszki, którzy byli uzbrojeni w kosy bojowe

Kvinnan som bar mig i sina armar blir idag 100 minus - Ciocia Erka.

Vid mina besök i New York får jag alltid mycket speciella presenter av henne som har med mitt ideela arbete att göra. Först fick ja ett fotografi som hon fick från Rapoport med delar av "Ghetto Fighters Memorial" med Mordechai Anielewicz, ledaren av Upproret i Warszawas Getto som startade i April 1943.

Denna underbara kvinna som fyller 99 år idag skulle inte kunna bära mig för närvarande men det gjorde hon förr.

När jag tänker efter så är numera Ciocia Erka den enda personen i världen som minns mig och mina föräldrar.

Det speciella är att vi är familj trots helt olika DNA. Vi har dock liknande karaktärer och när vi träffas så pratar vi oftast allvar och det händer att vi har olika åsikter om saker och ting. Hennes gråceller fungerar till 100% och det är därför så skönt och okomplicerat att umgås med henne.

Hon är lite av min skyddsängel trots att jag har hittills inte behövt att använda mig av hennes hjälp. Vetskapen att hon alltid finns bakom mig har följt mig under hela livet.

Vid mina besök i New York får jag alltid mycket speciella presenter av henne som har med mitt ideela arbete att göra. Först fick ja ett fotografi som hon fick från Rapoport med delar av "Ghetto Fighters Memorial" med Mordechai Anielewicz, ledaren av Upproret i Warszawas Getto som startade i April 1943.

Förra året, när hon fick veta att jag arbetar med en bok och barn från Piotrków getto som överlevde Förintelsen och kom till Sverige med UNRRA Vita Båtar så fick jag en målning av Adam Muszka, en judisk konstnär född just i den staden. En av de få som överlevde Förintelsen.

Vid mina besök i New York får jag alltid mycket speciella presenter av henne som har med mitt ideela arbete att göra. Förra året, när hon fick veta att jag arbetar med en bok och barn från Piotrków getto som överlevde Förintelsen och kom till Sverige med UNRRA Vita Båtar så fick jag en målning av Adam Muszka, en judisk konstnär född just i den staden. En av de få som överlevde Förintelsen.

Nowadays, when I think about it, Ciocia Erka is the only person in the world who remembers me as a child and also my parents. The special thing is that we are family despite completely different DNA. However, we have similar characters and when we meet, we usually talk seriously and it happens that we have different opinions about things. Her gray cells work 100% and it is therefore so nice and uncomplicated to spend time with Her.

This Wonderful Woman who turns 99 today would not be able to carry me currently but she used to do it before....

Nowadays, when I think about it, Ciocia Erka is the only person in the world who remembers me as a child and also my parents.

The special thing is that we are family despite completely different DNA. However, we have similar characters and when we meet, we usually talk seriously and it happens that we have different opinions about things. Her gray cells work 100% and it is therefore so nice and uncomplicated to spend time with Her.

She is a bit of my guardian angel even though I haven't had to use her help so far. The knowledge that she is always behind me has followed me throughout my life.

On my visits to New York, I always get very special gifts from her related to my nonprofit work. First, I received a photograph she received from Rapoport of parts of the "Ghetto Fighters Memorial" featuring Mordechai Anielewicz, the leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising that began in April 1943.

Last year in May, when she learned that I was working on a book and children from the Piotrków ghetto who survived the Holocaust and came to Sweden with UNRRA White Boats, I received a painting by Adam Muszka, a Jewish artist born in that very city. One of the few who survived the Holocaust.

Thanks for Your Love

Romek

The departure from Sweden was kept in the dark until the last minute. Jewish Exodus in January 1947.

 Monogeneration. "The Jewish Refugees Welfare Society" planned that 650 +. Jews, Holocaust survivors, would depart during the period December 1946-January 1947, from the port of Trelleborg. The destination was Eretz Israel. Before the trip, the Holocaust survivors were to gather in safe, secret places preferably near Trelleborg or along the Gävle-Stockholm railway line and then Stockholm-Trelleborg.

"The Jewish Refugees Welfare Society" (actually Haganah) planned that 650 + Jews, Holocaust survivors, would depart during the period December 1946-January 1947,  from the port of Trelleborg. The destination was Eretz Israel. Before the trip, the Holocaust survivors were to gather in safe, secret places preferably near Trelleborg or along the Gävle-Stockholm railway line and then Stockholm-Trelleborg. A chartered SJ train was to run the above routes the night just before the ship's departure. 

Few who were notified about it were, of course, the Swedish passport and customs authorities, the port office in Trelleborg, and the SJ personnel (SJ Sveriges Järnvägar - Swedish Railway). 

Everyone else involved was to be kept in the dark until the last minute. The survivors who were to board the boat and who worked were not to inform their employers about the trip, just not come to work at the appointed time. Information about the assembly places, close to Trelleborg, where the survivors who were not arriving by train, was also kept secret. 

Despite all of these precautions, the information about the trip leaked to the Swedish press, potentially jeopardizing the whole operation.

The first newspaper to "leak" the information was Trelleborgs Tidningen and then Dagens Nyheter. The information seems to have reached the editors early, before 21 January 1947, because it was already published on January 22. The entire secret plan, including the places where the survivors would gather before the voyage, was published at the same time as their ship S/S Ulua, stopped to stock up on fuel in Copenhagen, and when most of the future passengers were still spread over half of Sweden, from Malmö in the south to Gävle in the north.

The date 24.1.1947, January 24th, 1947 is also, the common date for the departure of 550 girls and women and 94 boys and men from the harbor of Trelleborg with destination Eretz Israel. Early on that morning they arrived with special trains to the Trelleborg Harbor and boarded the ship S/S Ulua.

The date 24.1.1947, January 24th, 1947 is also, the common date for the departure of 550 girls and women and 94 boys and men from the harbor of Trelleborg with destination Eretz Israel. Early on that morning they arrived with special trains to the Trelleborg Harbor and boarded the ship S/S Ulua. The youngest onboard was 13 and the older was in the late thirties. All of them were Jewish Holocaust survivors. The biggest group was girls around twenty. Another, important characteristic of the group was that they were, mono-generation. Monogeneration means without parents, younger brothers, and sisters, grandparents, without a country to return to. They arrived in Sweden at the end of WWII, between late April 1945 and mid-July 1945. 

During this particular period thousands of DPs (Displaced persons) were brought to Sweden in the actions remembered as White buses and White boats. Two unexpected trains with former inmates of concentration camps came to Denmark and survivors were further transported to Sweden. Most of the non-Jewish DPs returned to their home countries after some weeks/months of convalescence in Sweden. Most of the Holocaust survivors came to Sweden by UNRRA mission White boats (June-July 1945) and in the mentioned two trains to Padborg, Denmark (May 1945). Some Jewish survivors were brought to Sweden on the last day of White bus transports, the action that ended on April 28, 1945, when the last White bus arrived in Sweden.

The Sextant from S/S Ulua. It is the most important instrument of a Navigator's equipment and is by custom, usually provided by the individual himself. Before GPS it was the main navigation instrument giving the accurate position of the vessel.

The date January 24th, 1947 is the date for the departure of 550 girls and women and 94 boys and men from the harbor of Trelleborg with destination Eretz Israel. Most of them were Holocaust survivors who arrived to Sween with UNRRA White Boats (Juene-July 1945).