Aliyah Bet

Aliyah Bet (Hebrew: 'עלייה ב, Aliyah bet) is the name of the illegal immigration to by Jews to the British Mandate of Palestine between 1934 and 1948. It is also known as Ha'apala (Hebrew: ההעפלה, meaning ascension) in Hebrew. Over 100,000 people tried to illegally enter Palestine. There were 142 voyages by 120 ships. Over half were stopped by the British patrols. Over 1,600 drowned at sea. Only a few thousand actually entered Palestine.

A national burial site for those Jews who drowned in the sea during the Aliyah Bet is in the National Civil Cemetery of the State of Israel in Mount Herzl. Other burials are in Carmel Beach cemetery in Haifa. A museum of the history of Aliyah Bet is in Atlit detainee camp. The central memorial for those who did the Aliyah Bet is in the London Garden in Tel Aviv.

Other websites

Aliyah Bet and Machal Virtual Museum
"Aliyah During World War II and its Aftermath", Jewish Virtual Library
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Aliyah Bet
Aliyah Bet Voyages Aliyah Bet Project Aliyah Bet Voyages includes pictures and details of the boats of Aliyah Bet, ports of origin, dates of sailing, dates of arrival in Palestine and the number of immigrants on board.
The background to Aliyah Bet Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine