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Mordechai Lustig with other Jewish volunteers heading to Israel

The Exodus 1947 ship (Yad Vashem Archives)

The ship sailed from the port of Sete, near Marseilles, on July 11, 1947, with 4,515 immigrants, including 655 children, on board. Most of the passengers came from the D.P.camps in Europe. The crew comprised a sizable number of American Jewish sailors who volunteered for the job. As soon as it left the territorial waters of France, British destroyers accompanied it. On July 18, near the coast of Palestine but outside territorial waters, the British rammed the ship and boarded it, while the immigrants put up a desperate defense. Two immigrants and a crewman were killed in the battle, and 30 were wounded. The ship was towed to Haifa, where the immigrants were forced onto deportation ships bound for France. At Port–de–Bouc, in southern France, the would–be immigrants remained in the ships' holds for 24 days during a heat wave, refusing to disembark despite the shortage of food, the crowding and the abominable sanitary conditions. The French government refused to force them off the boat. Eventually, the British decided to return the would–be immigrants to Germany, and on August 22 the ship left for the port of Hamburg, then in the British occupation zone. The immigrants were forcibly taken off and transported to two camps near Lubeck. Journalists who covered the dramatic struggle described to the entire world the heartlessness and cruelty of the British. World public opinion was outraged and the British changed their policy. No more ships were sent to Europe. The majority of the passengers on the Exodus 1947were smuggled out of the British zone by the Brichah to the American zone in Germany and then onwards to Palestine.

I spent a nice time with Cesia and her mother. I reported back to my base where I was examined by a military doctor and underwent further military training. Then we were informed that we were shipping out to Marseilles. We reached the city and soon boarded the ship named “ Mella Panama”. We received false boarding cards. The entire ship was loaded with young men, mostly Shoah survivors. There were also non–military Jewish civilians, namely Cesia with her mother amongst the passengers.

The trip aboard the vessel took seven days. There was little food and water. We slept in three tiered bunks that run along the full length of the boat. But we did not care about the accommodations. After all we were young and inspired by the thought that we were going to fight for the Jewish state. Many youths were sea sick but I managed to stay on my feet. I was busy taking pictures and meeting people. Finally, we saw Haifa from the sea, a very moving picture. July 11. 1948, we stepped ashore in Haifa. We were immediately moved to the reception camp named “Agrobank” near the city of Hadera. There we were assigned to tents that had beds with clean sheets and food. At the base there was a kiosk where I bought ices and took pictures of the place. In the morning, we were moved to the big military base named Beit Lid. I started on the wrong foot for I had no bed to sleep in at the new base. The next day, July 12, 1948, was extremely hot, my friend Eliezer and I spent the night in a forsaken hole in the ground but received food. The same day, the cities of Lod and Ramle were captured by the Israel Army. I saw for the first time Palestinian Arab and Sudanese soldiers. July 13, 1949, I finished all the military paper requirements and was issued the military number 77115. I was then sent with other soldiers to the base of Kfar Yona near the coastal city of Netanya. This was a Palmach base.

Palmach badge The badge worn by the Palmach soldiers)

Women soldiers in the Palmach

Ezriel was assigned to the Negev Regiment and he was sent to Sodom near the Dead Sea. We were well received at the camp by the staff. We started battle training exercises, Hebrew lessons and various duties like guard duty and kitchen help and of course military roll calls. My unit consisted of soldiers that came from many places: Poland, Hungary Rumania, Germany, Holland, France Belgium. I had my camera and made extensive use of it. Following four days of extensive training, we were given four days of liberty to tend to our various needs. I had to go to the warehouse of the Jewish Agency in Pardess Chanah to pick up my suitcase that was there since I arrived in the country. I located the suitcase and returned to Hadera. I entered a store with the suitcase and spoke to the owner in Yiddish. I told the owner that I just arrived in Israel and am in the Army. I have no friends or relatives in the country. I have no place to leave my suitcase. I asked him if he would care for my suitcase until I could make the proper arrangements since I have to return to my military unit. He accepted my suitcase for safe keeping. I sold him one of my cameras and also exchanged some foreign currency to Israel currency. I then left for Tel Aviv and reached the end of Allenby Street. I met some of the soldiers that arrived with me aboard the ship. I spent my liberty at a Tel Aviv hotel and returned to the base.

At the end of July, the Palmach took us in military trucks to the base of the 6^th company of the Harel Brigade where I remained until the Palmach was dissolved. We traveled in the direction of Jerusalem via the old Burma Road. The road to Jerusalem was closed near Latrun by the Jordanian Legion. Jerusalem was starving, cut off from the Jewish hinterland. The Israel army tried to open the main road but failed. So they built an extensive by pass and called it the Burma Road. We traveled four hours until we reached Shaar Hagai at the entrance of the foot hills to Jerusalem. There was the military base called “Saris” later called Shoresh that was the home base of the 6^th unit of the Harel Brigade. I was assigned to B company. The base had two water wells surrounded by vegetation. The offices and supply units were located below in the older section of the base near the road. I was assigned to the top of the hill and issued bedding, weapons and ammunition. I made two trips to bring all my stuff to the barrack where I had my bed. I met some of the veterans of the unit that told me the battle history of the unit. They told me that in the battles for independence almost half the unit was killed. Slowly, I fell into line with the unit. I was assigned to squad number seven that was guarding a position. The squad consisted of 14 men. The commander of the position asked who would like to be in charge

Mordechai Lustig and his mule bringing supplies to his unit

We were constantly in training or resting or guarding. We were then moved to the post at Esthaol near Har Tuv opposite the Egyptian positions that were located in the hills. We were then moved to guard the Burma Road near Latrun that was held by the Jordanian forces. During one of liberty days that I received, I went to Haifa and reached Kings Street opposite the railway station. There was a two –story house and a huge queue of men that stretched from the street to the house. They were in line to meet Arab prostitutes. I was tempted to join the line when a sailor stopped me and gave me the address of a cleaner place and even told me the price that would be charged; 80 grush per visit.

I returned to the base and the entire unit was ordered to move to camp Israel, home base for the entire brigade for a period of rest. Indeed, the, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th companies of the brigade assembled near the village of Wilhelma. We went to the Kol Nidrei Service on the eve of Yom Kippur to the synagogue of the village. Half way through the service, messengers arrived from the base and told us to report immediately to the base. At the base we were told to get our gear and were transported to the Har Tuv area where military clashes were taking place with the Egyptian forces. That night the 4^th company attacked and conquered the high mountain named Dir El Hawa near Har Tuv. We supported the 4^th company and went into direct action. By Sukkoth, we took Beit Jamal, Netiv Lamed Hey, and were on the outskirts of Beit Jala near the historical city of Beit Lechem. The British prevented us from occupying the city, so we set up our defense positions and began to patrol in the village of San and Allar. We even saw the famous tree of the Gush Etzion village.

We were again relieved and sent to the Israel camp to rest and recuperate. We also began to train. Towards Channukah of 1948, a big party was being planned with a performance of a big band headed by Yehuda Sharett, brother of Moshe Sharret formerly Shertok , the foreign minister. I was selected to participate in the chorale group of the evening with the daughter of Moshe Sharett who often entertained our unit. I had a real surprise at the party when the political adviser of the brigade showed up. His name was Ben Zeev Gantzweiich and he was from Sandz. He survived the war in Russia and was now a high ranking political officer in the Palmach. We began preparations for the sport day in the army. We set up sport places opposite the camp where the various units would compete with each other. Then the unit went to target practice, following which I was promoted and received my first stripes. Prior to Passover, I was sent for a month to study Hebrew and then was sent to various places to become familiar with the country like to Muchraka, Nahallal and Emek Israel.

I was given an extensive liberty pass for Passover and money to stay at a hotel in Tel Aviv. The army arranged for me to spend the seder night with the Kolski family in Tel Aviv. To celebrate with them in style, I went

Mordechai Lustig's unit preparing for the Independence parade

I was already in Israel a full year and I did not know that I had an uncle here. My mother's brother Abish Lustig left Germany in 1933 and came to Palestine. Of course, I did not know this information. I visited often in Tel Aviv my Friend Berale Yakir who lived on Melchett Street. One day, I came to my friend and met his father, an elderly man. He asked about my family and I replied that my grandfather was Shalom Lustig. He told me that I have an uncle in Israel who lives in the city of Rehovot. I took the bus to the city and reached the center of town. I stepped into the first restaurant that I saw and asked whether they know where Abish Lustig lives. Someone told me that he lives in the Sha'araim section of the city. I went to the section and was told that they moved to Kibbutz Givat Brenner. I traveled to the kibbutz and found my family. I introduced myself that I am Mordechai Lustig, a grandson of Shalom Lustig and a nephew of Abish Lustig. I was very happy to discover another part of the family. My uncle was in a wheelchair; he suffered from Parkinson. His head was fine and he remembered things. He moved to the kibbutz where his daughter Rivka lived. She joined the “Habonim” Zionist group and made aliyah in 1933. She was one of the founders of Kibbutz Givat Brenner. She was married to Milan Oren and they had two sons and a daughter. I got to know the entire family including David Lustig who married in August of 1949 Ilana Baum. I would meet them often since I was now attached to a unit that was stationed at the Julis base that was near the kibbutz. They even showed me some pictures of my family.

Mordechai Lustig with Rivkah's children at Kibbutz Givat Brenner

At the Golani base there was a soccer field. I once attended the games when I heard a familiar voice in the background. I turned around and saw Peretz Peterzeil who was known in Sandz as Peretz Kacziki. We were students and knew each other well. During the war we played cards in Sandz. We shared our experiences and I was happy to meet another Sandzer Jew who survived the war. I think he was married and lived in Chalissa near Haifa.

Mordechai Lustig receives citation from the Israeli Defense Ministry for his military participation in combat.

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