Ship’s Deck Log Book – Illegal Immigrant Ship "Atzma’ut", 1947-1948...
Ship’s Deck Log Book – Illegal Immigrant Ship "Atzma’ut", 1947-1948 – Filled Out in Handwriting by the Ship’s Captain, Yitzhak "Ike" Ahronovitch, Previously Captain of the "Exodus"
Deck log book of the illegal immigrant ship "Atzma’ut". 1947-1948. English and Italian.
Ship’s deck log book – an official document filled out daily by the ship’s captain – regarded as the official documentation of the voyage. Such log books are managed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are considered to bear both legal and historical significance. Once registered, changes or modifications of any kind are prohibited, and the recordings remain permanently preserved.
The present document is the deck log book of the ship "Atzma’ut", largest of the illegal immigrant vessels, which, at the time, had some 7,500 immigrants on board. The log book is filled out in handwriting by the ship’s captain, Yitzhak "Ike" Ahronovitch, previously captain of the "Exodus". The log covers a particularly long period, from September 1947 through May 1948; this span of time includes the seagoing voyages, months of detention in Cyprus, and finally the journey to Palestine under the flag of the State of Israel.
Each page contains a detailed entry indicating the ship’s location, data regarding the voyage, and details of any noteworthy incidents that occurred that day, including negotiations with the British authorities on the high seas; the landing of passengers on the shores of Cyprus, where they were to be held in detention centers; the appointment of a military guard force and the decommissioning of the ship; revocation of the seizure order against the ship on the day of the State of Israel’s Declaration of Independence; the redesignation of the ship’s home port from Panama to Haifa; exchanging the ship’s flag for the flag of the State of Israel; and more.
The margins of the leaves bear the inked stamps of the Consulate of Panama in New York, because the ship’s flag of convenience (FOC) was Panamanian. The deck log book’s first entries are in a different handwriting, and in Italian; these entries were probably made by a crew member who skippered the vessel at the start of its voyage, from the United States to Europe.
The "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" were the largest seagoing vessels to take part in the "Ha’apalah" (illegal immigration) campaign that smuggled tens of thousands of Jews into Mandatory Palestine. The ships were purchased in the United States in 1947 by the so-called "Mossad LeAliyah Bet" (the original names of the ships were the SS "Pan Crescent" and the SS "Pan York"). Thanks to their unusually large size and thanks to their ventilation systems, they could carry roughly 7,500 immigrants each. Between them, the two vessels transported about 20 percent of the illegal immigrants that eventually arrived on the shores of Palestine.
In 1947, the two ships set sail for the Port of Venice under the Panamanian flag. From there, they sailed to the port of Constanța, Romania, where they were refitted and converted from freight ships into ships suited for carrying immigrant passengers. For several months, the leadership of the Jewish "Yishuv" in Palestine refused to authorize their embarkation, mostly out of fear that the arrival of illegal ships would undermine the case for a Jewish state in the upcoming vote at the United Nations, scheduled for November 29 of that year. In the end, in December 1947 the two vessels set out for Palestine of their own volition and with no formal authorization. David Ben-Gurion chose Hebrew names for the two ships – "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" – while they were still at sea. The British found out about the intended arrival of the ships shortly after their departure, and they dispatched destroyers to intercept them. Out of fear for the safety of the passengers, the commanders of the ships were instructed to obey the orders of the British authorities, and the crew therefore yielded and allowed the ships to be diverted to Cyprus, with no resistance. Once there, the ships were decommissioned. According to the terms of surrender, the ship’s commanders – accompanied by a handful of crew members – remained on board the vessels for the months-long duration of the detention. Throughout that time, they looked after the ships’ maintenance and ensured their seaworthiness, and Captain Yitzhak Ahronovitch of the "Atzma’ut" continued updating his ship’s log book on a daily basis.
On the day the independence of the State of Israel was declared – May 14, 1948 – festive ceremonies were held on board both the "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot". Soon afterward, the Panamanian flags were taken down, flags of Israel were hoisted, and the two ships set sail for the Port of Haifa. In the months after the establishment of the State of Israel, the "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" transported tens of thousands of new immigrants – now fully legal – from Cyprus, Italy, Marseilles, and North Africa to their new home in the newborn state.
Enclosed: Handwritten note listing the entries relating to significant events appearing in the deck log book. This "legend" was presumably handwritten by Captain Yitzhak Ahronovitch himself.
[62] leaves, approx. 34.5 cm. Good condition. Few stains. Creases, stains, and tears to edges of cover. Strip of cloth, with tears and blemishes, glued to length of spine. Inked stamps on each and every leaf.
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Ship’s Deck Log Book – Illegal Immigrant Ship "Atzma’ut", 1947-1948 – Filled Out in Handwriting by the Ship’s Captain, Yitzhak "Ike" Ahronovitch, Previously Captain of the "Exodus"
Deck log book of the illegal immigrant ship "Atzma’ut". 1947-1948. English and Italian.
Ship’s deck log book – an official document filled out daily by the ship’s captain – regarded as the official documentation of the voyage. Such log books are managed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are considered to bear both legal and historical significance. Once registered, changes or modifications of any kind are prohibited, and the recordings remain permanently preserved.
The present document is the deck log book of the ship "Atzma’ut", largest of the illegal immigrant vessels, which, at the time, had some 7,500 immigrants on board. The log book is filled out in handwriting by the ship’s captain, Yitzhak "Ike" Ahronovitch, previously captain of the "Exodus". The log covers a particularly long period, from September 1947 through May 1948; this span of time includes the seagoing voyages, months of detention in Cyprus, and finally the journey to Palestine under the flag of the State of Israel.
Each page contains a detailed entry indicating the ship’s location, data regarding the voyage, and details of any noteworthy incidents that occurred that day, including negotiations with the British authorities on the high seas; the landing of passengers on the shores of Cyprus, where they were to be held in detention centers; the appointment of a military guard force and the decommissioning of the ship; revocation of the seizure order against the ship on the day of the State of Israel’s Declaration of Independence; the redesignation of the ship’s home port from Panama to Haifa; exchanging the ship’s flag for the flag of the State of Israel; and more.
The margins of the leaves bear the inked stamps of the Consulate of Panama in New York, because the ship’s flag of convenience (FOC) was Panamanian. The deck log book’s first entries are in a different handwriting, and in Italian; these entries were probably made by a crew member who skippered the vessel at the start of its voyage, from the United States to Europe.
The "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" were the largest seagoing vessels to take part in the "Ha’apalah" (illegal immigration) campaign that smuggled tens of thousands of Jews into Mandatory Palestine. The ships were purchased in the United States in 1947 by the so-called "Mossad LeAliyah Bet" (the original names of the ships were the SS "Pan Crescent" and the SS "Pan York"). Thanks to their unusually large size and thanks to their ventilation systems, they could carry roughly 7,500 immigrants each. Between them, the two vessels transported about 20 percent of the illegal immigrants that eventually arrived on the shores of Palestine.
In 1947, the two ships set sail for the Port of Venice under the Panamanian flag. From there, they sailed to the port of Constanța, Romania, where they were refitted and converted from freight ships into ships suited for carrying immigrant passengers. For several months, the leadership of the Jewish "Yishuv" in Palestine refused to authorize their embarkation, mostly out of fear that the arrival of illegal ships would undermine the case for a Jewish state in the upcoming vote at the United Nations, scheduled for November 29 of that year. In the end, in December 1947 the two vessels set out for Palestine of their own volition and with no formal authorization. David Ben-Gurion chose Hebrew names for the two ships – "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" – while they were still at sea. The British found out about the intended arrival of the ships shortly after their departure, and they dispatched destroyers to intercept them. Out of fear for the safety of the passengers, the commanders of the ships were instructed to obey the orders of the British authorities, and the crew therefore yielded and allowed the ships to be diverted to Cyprus, with no resistance. Once there, the ships were decommissioned. According to the terms of surrender, the ship’s commanders – accompanied by a handful of crew members – remained on board the vessels for the months-long duration of the detention. Throughout that time, they looked after the ships’ maintenance and ensured their seaworthiness, and Captain Yitzhak Ahronovitch of the "Atzma’ut" continued updating his ship’s log book on a daily basis.
On the day the independence of the State of Israel was declared – May 14, 1948 – festive ceremonies were held on board both the "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot". Soon afterward, the Panamanian flags were taken down, flags of Israel were hoisted, and the two ships set sail for the Port of Haifa. In the months after the establishment of the State of Israel, the "Atzma’ut" and "Kibutz Galuyot" transported tens of thousands of new immigrants – now fully legal – from Cyprus, Italy, Marseilles, and North Africa to their new home in the newborn state.
Enclosed: Handwritten note listing the entries relating to significant events appearing in the deck log book. This "legend" was presumably handwritten by Captain Yitzhak Ahronovitch himself.
[62] leaves, approx. 34.5 cm. Good condition. Few stains. Creases, stains, and tears to edges of cover. Strip of cloth, with tears and blemishes, glued to length of spine. Inked stamps on each and every leaf.
