Exodus: The Real Story
Prof. Aviva Halamish of the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies, opened her lecture on "The True Story of Exodus" by asking if anyone in the audience had any personal connection with the Exodus. Two people raised their hands; one who had a birth certificate indicating that he was one of tens of babies born on the very same embattled ship of Jewish refugees.
"The real story of Exodus " Prof. Halamish explained "is not reenacted in the Otto Preminger film based on Leon Uris' book. And, there is no Paul Newman either. The real story of the Exodus also played no part in influencing the UN decision for partition, nor did it influence the recommendations of the UNSCOP commission, "which according to Halamish "just happened to coincide with the arrival of the Exodus in Haifa's port."
The real story of the boat known as Exodus is no less astounding and epic in nature than the story portrayed in the 1960 film, by the same name. The Exodus, which departed from France on July 11, 1947, was filled to capacity with 4,500 Jewish refugees, making it the most populous boat to bear refugees to Palestine since the end of the Holocaust. For nearly the entire journey, the Exodus was followed by 6 British ships which, in spite of the Honduras flag which flew from its mast, had early on identified the Exodus as belonging to the struggling Jewish government in Palestine. In addition to the refugees, the Exodus carried 36 American volunteers and a cadre of Israeli Jewish volunteers largely despatched from the Jewish Agency, the official governing body of the Jewish population in Palestine.
The timing, unlike the portrayal in the film, "had more to do with the Tour de France than the UNSCOP -- The United Nations Special Committee on Palestine -- which was then visiting Palestine and was chartered to bring its recommendations for resolving the issue of the warring Arab and Jewish populations in Palestine" Prof. Halamish revealed.
Why the Tour de France? The Jewish leadership felt that world attention would be riveted more to the Tour de France, than a sole boat chugging its way from France to Haifa.
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