Known as “the ship that launched a nation,” here’s some history behind the Exodus. In 1946, members of the Haganah purchased a worn-out freight ship, the SS President Warfield. On July 11, 1947, the ship set sail from France, carrying over 4,500 Jewish refugees, including 655 children. It departed from the Port of Sète near Marseille carrying mainly Holocaust survivors and DPs (displaced persons) with the destination of the Jewish homeland. Once in open waters, the ship was renamed ‘Exodus 1947’.
On July 18, the Exodus arrived at the Haifa port, bringing her passengers home. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing; the difficult journey of the rescue ship showed the determination and resilience of Holocaust survivors returning to their Jewish homeland.
