SUMMER 2013 AMERICAN VETERANS OF ISRAEL LEGACY CORPORATION PRESERVING THE LEGACY OF AMERICAN AND CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS IN ISRAEL’S WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 136 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016 The President’s Corner 2013 MICKEY MARCUS MEMORIAL Dear Friends, AT WEST POINT Welcome to the latest AVILC Aliyah Bet Veterans Honored Amid Family, Military, Newsletter and thanks to our and Israeli VIPs Editor, Elizabeth Appley and By Elizabeth J. Appley writer, Si Spiegelman, for yeoman AVILC’s annual Mickey Marcus the 65th anniversary of Israel’s duties in putting it together. Memorial Service at the United independence and the 65th We’ve had an eventful year States Military Academy at West yartzheit of Aluf Michael highlighted by an exceptional 2013 (Mickey) Stone, z”l, in Mickey Marcus Memorial event whose memory the event at West Point again ably organized is named. A special by Si Spiegelman and Rafi Marom, tribute honored the North with wonderful assistance from American Aliyah Bet Donna Parker. The theme was to veterans who ran the honor the Members of Aliyah Bet clandestine immigration who brought thousands of Shoah s h i p s s m u g g l i n g survivors to Eretz Yisrael and European Jews into contributed to breaking the British mandate Palestine. rule there. We were honored to The service at the West have in attendance Ambassador Point Jewish Chapel was Ido Aharoni, Consul General of called to order by AVILC Israel in NY, military dignitaries, Director, Rafi Marom. members of the Marcus family, Donna Parker Photo credit: West Point Cadets Ford and Topp assisting Colonel After the posting of the Aliyah Bet veterans, Machalniks Charles Stafford, Chief of Staff for the colors and the singing of and family and friends. The Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, during the Candle lighting ceremony at West the national anthem, Memorial featured the first Point with a full chapel of guests watching. Chaplain (Major) Henry exhibition of the new Machal and C. Soussan, Garrison Aliyah Bet Exhibition: Heroes Point was held on Sunday May 5, Jewish Chaplain, gave the from Abroad, produced by the 2013, amid an array of AVI invocation, followed by the American Jewish Historical families, high ranking American memorial candle lighting. AVILC Society that was on display at the military personnel and Israeli President, Jeff Margolis, offered a Chapel. This mobile exhibition is VIPs. The 47th commemoration welcome with formal greetings available for display at venues in remembered the 41 North from the Government of Israel the U.S. and Canada by the American volunteers who were delivered by Ambassador Ido American Veterans of Israel felled in the Israeli War of Aharoni, Consul General of Israel Legacy Corporation. Please Independence and recognized both in New York. President’s Corner continued on page 2 1 2013 Mickey Marcus Memorial continued on page 2 President’s Corner 2013 Mickey Marcus Memorial continued from page 1 continued from page 1 Machalnik Paul Kaye delivered remarks to contact us for more the assembly and honored the brave and valiant information. members of Aliyah Bet who were in attendance: We were all very pleased Arthur Bernstein (Haim Arlosoroff); Harry to hear about the Machal Bieber (Ruth Wang and Etsel); Bernard Ellman E x h i b i t a t t h e B e i t (Ruth Wang and Etsel); David Guttman (Ben Hatfutsot Museum in Tel Hecht, Geulah and Palyam); Ray Kaplan Aviv, which opened in April (Marine Carp, interned in Beirut); Paul Kaye 2012 to excellent reviews [Kaminetzky] (Hatikvah, Galila, and Shayetet 13 and has been one of the most - Naval Commandos); Harald Kraushar popular exhibits in recent (Altalena and Etsel); Augustine “Duke” memory. It is not too late to Labaczewski (Hatikvah and Palmach); Henry see the Exhibit as its run has Mandel (Ben Hecht and in chemed (weapons been extended to the end of Donna Parker Photo credit: research); Irving “Sparks” Meltzer (Jewish 2013. After that, a segment Ambassador Ido Aharoni, State, Stela Maris, and in radar); Robin will remain as a permanent Consul General of Israel in New Rotenberg (Mala); Martin Silver (Mala); Moses York, addressing the crowd at the exhibition at the museum. Marcus Memorial, with Jeffrey Stambler (Jewish State, Ruth Wang, and in radar), We are especially proud to Margolis and Rafi Marom, AVILC and Charles Weiss (Hatikvah, Pan York, Pan in the background. point to a successful Crescent). His powerful remarks were followed fundraising campaign by the calling of the roll of recently departed (spearheaded locally by our indefatigable Si Spiegelman) which was integral to the funding of this important exhibit. Thanks to all who contributed so generously. Kudos to Donna Parker for another successful Hannukah Party—good turnout and lots of fun. The event also raised $300 for the Brotherhood Synagogue. (Donna circulated a very nice letter from Phillip Rothman, Executive Director of the Brotherhood Synagogue, thanking Donna for the contribution and for the privilege of hosting the AVI Hanukkah event.) We look forward to an exciting year to come and we welcome your suggestions for the growth of the organization. Please let me know if Donna Parker Photo credit: you are interested in serving on the Front seven from left to right: Ambassador Ido Aharoni, David Guttman. Harold Krausher, Charles Weiss, Arthur Bernstein, Paul Kaye, Chaplain (Major) Henry C. Board or any of our Committees – Soussan, Garrison Jewish Chaplain at West Point. Back row from left to right: Irving especially the Newsletter Committee “Sparks” Meltzer, Augustine "Duke" Labaczewski, Ray Kaplan, Harry Bieber, and the Fundraising Committee. Moses Stambler, Bernard Ellman, Martin Silver. With good wishes to all and with a special expression of gratitude to veterans by Naomi (Levin) Kantey and Paul Kaye, both MACHAL those Machalniks who are still with veterans, the reading of scripture by Rabbi Doniel Kramer, Chaplain us. (LTC) ret., and the recitation of Kaddish, a benediction, and the retiring Jeff Margolis of the colors. President 2 2013 Mickey Marcus Memorial continued on page 4 American Veterans of Israel Legacy Corporation WORLD MACHAL EXHIBIT AT BEIT 136 East 39th Street HATFUTSOT: BY LAND, BY AIR, AND BY SEA, New York, N.Y. 10016-0914 Officers, Trustees and Directors VOLUNTEERS FROM ABROAD 1948 President: Jeff Margolis (212) 490-0900 The World Machal exhibition at the Medicks, Chairman of UK and [email protected] Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Scandinavian Machal, told the Vice President: Aviv (the Diaspora Museum/Beit audience how happy he was that his Elizabeth Appley - Newsletter Editor Hatfutsot) has been a truly an dream of holding such an exhibition (404) 523-3800 [email protected] outstanding event. The Exhibit is was fulfilled. Speeches ended with the called Volunteers from Abroad in curator Shira Friedman, explaining her Secretary: Augusta Gooch Israel’s War of Independence and can guidelines and motivations while (256) 883-5723 be viewed at the Beit Hatfutsot website creating this exhibition. [email protected] www.bh.org.il. Treasurer: Description of the Exhibition Donna Kantey Parker (201) 944-1530 Exhibit Opening The guests were then taken to see the [email protected] The exhibit’s opening in June 2012 exhibit located on the third floor of the Trustees: was attended by more than 200 people, Museum in a small well located niche. Sharona Ben Ami - Machal West the majority were Machalniks from The walls are lined with panels, Liaison 1946-1949 and their families, who [email protected] representing the various branches of filled the auditorium. U.K. the services – Aliyah Bet, Navy, Air Bryan Feinberg Ambassador Matthew Gould and [email protected] Force, Ground Forces, including the Deputy U.S. Ambassador Thomas Mike Flint Armored Corps, Medical Corps, [email protected] Goldberger and his wife Eden attended Women in Machal, with a brief the event, as did Major Paloma Arthur Kiron - Archives explanation to highlight important [email protected] Beausoleil of the Military Section of facts related to events in 1948. In the Daphne Klausner the U.S. Embassy. center of each panel is a frame with [email protected] The speeches commenced with the Rafi Marom guest of honor, Chairman of [email protected] the Knesset, M.K. Reuven Ex Officio Directors: (Ruby) Rivlin, praising the Art Bernstein Machalniks for their service Paul Kaye Samuel Klausner to the State of Israel. Brig. Ralph Lowenstein Gen. Eli Shermeister, Chief Si Spiegelman Education Officer of the Websites: I.D.F. spoke highly and most www.israelvets.com complimentary of the www.ajhs.org/about/ Machalniks’ contributions. machal_exhibition.cfm Mr. Avinoam Almoni, CEO of the Diaspora Museum expressed pride in hosting the Machal exhibition. The Doreen Bliss Photo credit: Brigadier-General Eli Shermeister, Chief Education Highlights from this Issue: highlight of the evening, Officer of the Israel Defense Forces, addressing the judging by the applause and audience at the Opening Ceremony President’s Corner...............Page 1 Mickey Marcus Memorial...Page 1 the number of emails which photos of Machalniks on display and World Machal Exhibit.........Page 3 were subsequently received, was a these are regularly being changed. The memorable address by Smoky Simon, Obituaries and Stories panels also contain memorabilia, such from the Past.......................Page 5 Chairman of World Machal. Stanley as the telegram sent by British 3 World Machal Exhibit continued on page 4 2013 Mickey Marcus Memorial continued from page 2 The day continued at the Military Cemetery with the laying of the wreath at the gravesite of Colonel David Marcus and Emma Marcus. The USAG Military Police Color Guard posted the colors, and a message to Emma Marcus from David Ben Gurion was read by MACHAL Veteran, Ira Feinberg.