The PALM conference and the next generation

On Wednesday (11/5/2022), in the courtyard of Beit Hana Senesh, the conference of the Plimim and the next generation was held at Kibbutz Sdot-Yam. The exciting conference, in which dozens of members of the next generation participated, was honored with their presence by the members of the Plimim: Baruch Zilberberg - Tirosh ( "Butrus") and Jacob ben Zion ("King"), will be distinguished for a long life.

Hana Sanesh house

Along with the exciting meetings of the bad guys that preceded the conference, the participants were invited to visit Hana Sanesh's house. The place, which was recently renovated, commemorates the paratrooper and poet Hana Sanesh and her fellow paratroopers who sacrificed their lives to save the Jews in Europe: Habiva Reik, Raphael Reis, Zvi Ben Yaakov, Abba Berdichev, Peretz Goldstein, Enzo Sirni and Hanna Sanesh.

The museum presents a fascinating collection of photos, letters, poems and objects from Hana Senesh's estate.

The event, which opened with the song "Walking to Caesarea", was organized by the next generation of the Palmach, the descendants of the members of the Palmach in cooperation with the Palmach Generation Association and Kibbutz Sdot Yam and it was moderated Adwa Pelagi, daughter of Israel is destroyed, the man of the Palaim, the commander of the ships "Dalin", "Hana Sanesh" and "Yehuda Halevi".

"We have gathered here, family members and members of the next generation of the Palmach people," Edva began, "to remember and tell about those who responded to the call and enlisted in the Palmach and the naval company and were the bridge between there and here, those who did everything to open the gates for the Holocaust survivors who carried their souls The unit was the Land of Israel.

Let us remind you that this year is the 80th year of the establishment of the Palmach, that wonderful organization, even if all around the storm its head is not a chess and its fighters are always first, in the light of day and in the dark, because that's what the Palmach is." 

Conversation circles and reminiscing

In the conversation circles spread out in the event complex, each of the participants briefly told his circle friends about the activities of his family member who served in Palestine.

◄ Watch the video clips - discussion circles at the PALIM conference 12/5/22

The commander's word

At the beginning of the conference, Major General (res.) greeted those present Shika Gishif, chairman of Dor Palmach association. He told about his personal ties to the Palestinian Authority and the Navy:  

"After I enlisted in the Palmach, I received a summons with the Ginoser department, where the Palmach sailors taught us to row in rubber boats, so that we would be ready to help the ships of the immigrants. Another connection was when I was the CEO of "Kor", I had a spector from Kfar Giladi, who instructed The 6 people, together we built the chimneys of the Hadera power plant that we can see from here. The third context, when I was already a general, my son enlisted in the army and served in the navy, but when they were driven to the base, he disappeared for me... I used my rank to find out where he was and found Him in prison XNUMX, after he was caught without a beret..."

Gabish expressed his joy at holding the convention in the 80th year of the Palmach and emphasized the contribution of the Palmach to the State of Israel. The Palmach was the body that promised to be the army of the Land of Israel, he said. The best of the youth enlisted in the British army, and Yitzchak Sde believed that it was important that the regular units of the Palmach also have sailors who graduated from the naval school. Later, it was understood that a naval department and a naval company should be established. As an example, specify the crystal Avraham Zakai From Givat Brenner, a man of the Palmach who was a company commander in the second battalion of the "regular" Palmach.

"Hapalim," Gavish continued, "was able to change its activity and preparation according to the tasks assigned to it. The qualification task was a task on a huge scale, 64 qualifying ships were accompanied by the PAL people. In addition to the escorts, the PALM personnel handled the security of the beaches and access, unloading and organizing operations against the British Navy, as part of the entire PALM struggle in the state's struggle.  

In addition to the struggle, the PLM also took care of those deported to Cyprus, training them and preparing them for immigration to Israel. 51,000 trained men arrived from Cyprus as much as possible and joined the fighting force. They were the manpower that completed the fighting ability of the old units.

At the end of his remarks, Shaika Gavish called on the participants to join the Palmach Generation Association, in order to allow the important legacy to be instilled in schools, soldiers and even tourists.

shay bobber, Member of the secretariat and center of the Sdot Yam economy, son of Samson Buber, one of the founders of the Israeli cruise, who took part in lowering the masts of the ship "Hana Sanesh" to the beach, greeted the participants and said:

"Kibbutz Sdot Yam, also called Caesarea in those days, was the home of the PaliM: here on the beach the lads lived in tent camps and trained for what was to come. The fishing shed served as a classroom for them, they ate in the kibbutz's dining room and worked in Haifa port as porters along with the kibbutz members. In the kibbutz's blacksmith shop, they prepared the hardened iron parts for the sabotage squads, and the kibbutz's fishing boat was the one that was sent to locate the illegal ships at sea and direct them to the drop-off location.

Four infiltrator ships arrived at our shore and their infiltrators were successfully unloaded under the noses of the British who were sitting on Givat Olga. During the nights of Horda, members of Sdot Yam mobilized and took part in the secret activity, and for this the kibbutz paid a heavy price: two large searches were conducted in Sdot Yam, although the British did not find any weapons or the PIL members, but all the young men were sent to the detention camp in Rafih, and the girls and small children remained in the kibbutz My grandfather was taken to Rafah and my grandmother was taken to Latron, my half-year-old mother remained in the kibbutz. In the spirit of those days, young men from all around came to help the companies sustain the branches of the economy and protect the settlement.

Kibbutz Caesarea and Sdot Yam worked together for the common goal of rescuing those who survived the Holocaust. That is why it is so important to hold the conference here, in the place where it all started. I salute those guys who bore their blood on Nablus and later became the command avenue of the newly established navy."

"We'll meet again on the water"

Yoav Regev, a member of the next generation of the Palmah, gave the participants a fascinating overview of the Palmah:

"The PLM very quickly became the only national mobilized force of the Haganah organization and the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel in the years 1945-1948 and at the same time the executive arm of the Mossad for Aliya II.

Several roots preceded Plyam: the "Yarkon Boys" group already from 1937 trained in Yarkon and the port of Tel Aviv, the maritime sailing associations (the maritime section of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Zebulon, Dolphin, Sea Scouts and more), 77 ships and ships qualified between the years 1934-1945 (pre-Palimah) and the Mossad for Aliyah B that came into the world in November 1938 and the Palmah will stand under it.  

The groundbreaking watershed line was born in Caesarea in January 1943, when the first maritime course began as part of the Palmach, which lasted three months. Among the 31 trainees was Zalman Farah, his daughter perfumery sitting here He is the man who, during the year 1943, convinced Yigal Alon, the deputy commander of the Palmach, to convince Yitzhak Sade, the commander of the Palmach, to bring about the creation of an organic naval unit that will serve the naval missions in the foreseeable future."

"In December 1943, the Marine Division was established for the first time, the first naval division of the Palmach Corps, which is the basis of the Marine Corps," continued Regev in his review. In 1945, the members of the "Yarkon Boys" and members of the sailing associations guided, among others: protective bear, Avraham Zakai, Shmulik Tankos And more.

From January 1943 until the War of Independence, 9 courses for boat commanders were held in Caesarea-Sdot Yam, where they were educated in the maritime craft. In addition, 5 courses of advanced maritime training were conducted in 6 months at the maritime school next to the old Technion in Haifa, with technical-mechanical completions at the Vocational School in Bigor. The graduates of those courses are the ones who will bear the burden of the qualification, that is, the bringing of 64 ships and ships for qualification between the years 1945-1948, with about 69,000 qualification on their decks, which were brought by 169 escorts and commanders and with them about 78 Gideons, men of Plim.

Out of the 212 enlisted men, 78 Gideon men are PALM personnel by definition, some on the ship's decks and some at 27 land stations in Europe, the USA and the coasts of the country. When the Mahim came into the world in 1943, he was a platoon from Company G which united the special units. Company Y was part of the XNUMXth battalion of the Palmach which also united the special units of the Palmach.

The PALM unites several arms under it: one - the naval sabotage squad under the command of Yohai Ben-Nun. The second - the ranks of the defenders that were established in August 1946 and trained in regulated training camps in preparation for immigrating to Israel and serving in the Palmach. The third - the port company in Haifa, later a company that secured the Jewish workers in 1947-1948.

The Naval Company of the Palmach, i.e. the only naval force of the Defense Organization in the Land of Israel, was subordinate to the Palmach Headquarters until March 17, 1948. When the Naval Service, later the Navy, was established, it would be subordinated to the Naval Service from within the Palmach. At that time, About 100 PALM men fought in the battles of the Jerusalem mountains as part of the 66th battalion. XNUMX of them were among the fallen of the XNUMXth Battalion in these battles.  

To conclude his remarks, Regev wanted to emphasize that the main base of the Navy is the Navy. Five Navy commanders came from the Navy, as well as deputy corps commanders, fleet commanders, vessel commanders, and more.

"This is our responsibility, our job to bring them healthy and safe"

Smeder Weinstock, the daughter of the Paliman Israel is destroyed, read the moving words of Natan Alterman, "An answer speech to an Italian rabbi". Merav Raon and Omari Lash Members of the next generation, read excerpts from the memoirs of Plyam members Nimrod Eshel, Aryeh Kaplan ("Kifi"), Yohai Ben-Nun, Yossi Harel, Shmuel Yanai "Samek", Menachem Klein and others.  

Tova ben Tzur, the wife of the Paliman Yehuda ben-Zur, excitedly addressed those present: 

"I am only 91 years old, of which 72 years as the wife of Yehuda ben Tzur, nicknamed "Wild", a foreigner will not understand this... the fields of the Caesarea Sea, the cradle of the Piliim. Here the annual conferences were held, the meetings of the evils, here the bridge between the generations was built.

I feel it is a mission without Yehuda's presence to point out the abortion site that was between its founders and their son Zvi thereby continues his path in order to instill the important legacy for future generations."

In saying, in sound, in story and song

During the evening they sang Shlomit וVenus The songs: "Ruthy", "Singer for the Ship", "Captain", "Shoshana" and "Singer for the Captain". Later, the pleasant ones Avinaam Kolodani וAryeh Raziel In the songs of the Palaim to which the audience joined.

The artistic program was concluded by the song: "A cup of tea" by the "band of the captains' daughters" - the daughters of captains from the Palmyra: Hamotel (putty), daughter of Yohai ben Nun, perfumery, daughter of Zalman Farah, ore, daughter of Menachem Cohen (Churchill) andDita, daughter of Reuven Yatir-Hirsh.

At the end of the event, with the blessing "We will meet again on the water", the participants stood on their feet and sang proudly:

"Around the stormy day, but our head will not rest, we are always at the command, we are always, we are the Palmah."

The Palmach anthem will continue and pass from generation to generation with its head held high. Kudos to the organizers and participants for an honorable, exciting and well organized event. May the important legacy continue and be handed down for generations.