From Manitoba to Machal: Winnipeger Recalls Israel's Birth

Page 28 T cjnews.com THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS July 17, 2008 1948…They Were There From Manitoba to Machal:Winnipeger recalls Israel’s birth vivors from Europe, to Palestine. Chapnick had just graduated from high school ‘I felt a strong when he packed a bag and told his parents he was off to look for work in Toronto. Instead, he hopped commitment to on a train to New York City, where he had an appointment with representatives from the the future State of Israel, Haganah, the pre-state Jewish militia in Palestine. and these were “It was very difficult to get to New York then,” Chapnick recalled. “The American authorities desperate times’ were stopping Jewish youngsters of military age from Toronto and Montreal at the border.” Chapnick was stopped in Niagara Falls, and By JENNY HAZAN after customs officials found a tallit in his back- Special to The CJN pack, they refused him entry into the United States. Eventually, after a few tries and a few more Three years ago, Alec Chapnick of Winnipeg, Man., had train rides, he made it across the border. some shrapnel removed from above his eye. “I was determined to get there,” he said. “So I Some 30 years prior, he had some taken out of his knee. did.” Chapnick says there’s plenty more where that came from, but For Chapnick, volunteering for Israel was not all of it can be safely removed with surgery. important because of his own family history. A Polish-born Jew, he moved to Winnipeg in 1930 “It’s amazing how these things are still with me, 60 years Alec Chapnick in 1948 later,” said the 79-year-old Canadian veteran for Israel, who with his immediate family when he was less than was injured by a landmine during his volunteer military service a year old. “The whole country [Poland] was full of anti- was assigned to a new unit, made up of two soldiers from his for the fledgling State of Israel during the War of Independence Semitism, and Jews that could get out, got out,” he explains. old crew and three new ones, and headed out to Kfar Giladi, a in 1948. “I guess they always will be.” They left most of his family behind, and all but two of his battlefront on the Lebanese border. They patrolled there for When the United Nations declared its partition plan in cousins ended up perishing in the Holocaust. nearly a month. November 1947 and Arabs from all six nations surrounding “I felt a strong commitment to the future State of Israel, and Then, on Oct. 21, 1948, his unit was sent to Be’er Sheva to Israel began to show signs of imminent attack, Chapnick, then these were desperate times,” Chapnick said. “I felt it was my take part in Operation Yoav. just 18 years old, was moved to act. duty to volunteer.” “I remember the night, because it was my 19th birthday,” He became one of 3,500 people from 46 countries – includ- When he finally arrived in New York, he made his meeting Chapnick said of the six-hour battle that ended in Israel’s victo- ing 1,250 from Canada and the United States – who rushed to as planned, and in three days, he was on a ship, the SS Marine ry over the Egyptian army. “I told myself I couldn’t die that day, serve as volunteers, Machalniks, in all branches of the emerg- Shark, along with 30 other young Canadians, bound for France. and I never fired a shot.” ing Israel Defence Forces. The volunteers also helped with Once in France, the Haganah confiscated their passports and After almost two months patrolling Be’er Sheva, Chapnick Aliyah Bet, a movement of 10 clandestine ships that altogether issued each volunteer false displaced person papers. In France, was sent to Eilat, via the Scorpion Path. “This was the most shuttled 31,000 so-called illegal immigrants, Holocaust sur- the Canadians joined other volunteers from around the world in boring time of my life,” Chapnick said of the six weeks he spent a DP camp, where they conducted basic training for a month in the southern town. “There was nothing there, save for a hut before their next ship came in. built by a British archeologist who was exploring the area.” Then, late one night, their ship, a three-mast fishing sail- When the war began to wind down with the signing of the 1 boat, arrived to pick them up. “It was terrible,” Chapnick various armistice agreements, 1 /2 years had passed since recalled. “It was a four-man boat, and they Chapnick joined up. He, along with 15 other piled 154 of us onto it. The place stunk of fish. Canadians and South Africans, decided to There were no toilets or lifejackets. We had a start a moshav at the northern end of Tel Aviv fire on the boat, and the motor quit. There was on the HaYarkon River. They called it Beth only biscuits and orange juice.” Hever. Call now to arrange a tour and your After more than two weeks at sea, the little Chapnick later returned to Winnipeg, boat finally landed off the coast of Tel Aviv. intending only to stay for a month to visit his complimentary weekend stay! Immediately, they were detained at a British parents before returning to the new moshav, army base north of Caesarea. The morning but while he was there, his father fell ill. after they arrived, Chapnick, along with three “Eventually, I didn’t go back,” said CANADIANS: other Canadians, escaped to Kibbutz Ramat Chapnick, who recently retired from a 50-year Ask about our Yohanan, and finally, in mid-June 1948, they career with the London Life Insurance seasonal specials! made it to the Tzrifin artillery base south of Tel Company in Winnipeg. Aviv. He didn’t return to Israel for 28 years. All four of them were assigned to the 72nd When he finally did go back, he was shocked Infantry Battalion. “There was only one at what he saw. weapon for four guys, and I was the fourth guy Alec Chapnick “I thought I knew Israel, but things had on my rotation, which means that three men changed in so many ways,” said Chapnick, had to die in order for me to get a rifle,” Chapnick said. who was pleased to discover that his moshav, now known as “For the first six months, we didn’t get uniforms. We fought Kfar Daniel, still existed. in civilian clothes.” While there, he reunited with the remaining six founders Chapnick’s first mission was to Mishmar Haemek in the and their families. He was also delighted to discover that the Jezreel Valley. There, he decided to switch units and join the British archeologist’s hut had been preserved in the courtyard anti-tank forces. “In those days, you could do that,” he of one of Eilat’s large luxury hotels. explained, adding that that at the time, soldiers didn’t have Since that initial trip, Chapnick has returned to Israel with numbers or dog tags, and everyone was learning as they went his family eight times. His last trip, in 2003, was with a group along. of Birthright Israel youth from Canada. He was one of six Chapnick was re-assigned along with five others. On their Canadian veterans for Israel who joined groups of Jewish youth first mission, they hit a landmine. Everyone but Chappy, as he on their first 10-day trip to Israel to teach them about the places 5-STAR SERVICE: INDEPENDENT AND was affectionately called by his fellow comrades, was rushed to they had served in 1948. LICENSED ASSISTED LIVING the hospital in Afula. “I was there at such an important historic time. I was there “I flew up in the air and I had shrapnel in my leg, face, and for the first Yom Ha’atzmaut parade. I voted in the first Israeli FL AL Lic. #10669 arms, but the other guys were in much worse shape,” he said. election. But for anyone who is 60 or younger today, Israel has 4251 Rock Island Road, Lauderhill, Florida He was operated on the following day, but “they couldn’t get it always existed for them. They don’t remember a time before all out.” there was a state,” Chapnick said. 1-954-486-2150 After a week in hospital, Chapnick was sent out to battle “It was quite an interesting experience for them, and quite www.gardenplazainverrary.com again, this time as an officer. He hitchhiked back to his base, an emotional one for me.”.

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