Bernstein, William (Willie, Bill)

He was born on February 27, 1923, in the town of Pasayk, New Jersey. He was recruited by Haapala activists in Palestine to serve as a second officer on the illegal immigrant ship “Exodus”. The ship made its way to Eretz Israel in July 1947, carrying more than 4,500 people, women and children from the Jewish survivors of Europe. On July 18, 1947, 22 miles from the shores of Palestine, the ship received a signal from a British destroyer that it had to stop its advance towards the shores of Palestine, and preparations were being made to repel a possible British attack when the “Exodus” approached the shore. On the ship, a heavy machine-gun was fired and two destroyers started banging on either side of it. The passengers began to throw cans and potatoes at them, but to no avail; they broke in with pistols and clubs and beat the captain. Bill Bernstein was severely beaten and died a short while later. He was laid to rest in the Haifa cemetery.