1928 - 1952

We honor the great ship President Warfield, her crews and people that sailed with her into the annals of history and love. No ship ever sailed the seas that felt greater emotion, experienced such diverse history and touched lives of millions of people as the President Warfield.

THE EVENT OF THE PRESIDENT WARFIELD
caused the creation of the Nation of Israel and facilitated
the return of the Jewish People out of all nations.

On 17th July 1947, with 4,554 Jewish holocaust survivors on board, the great ship President Warfield was renamed "Exodus" and with the blue and white Star of David flag flying over the ship they opened their engines full, and made a run for Bat Yam beach singing the Hatikwa, which later became the Israeli national anthem."

From 1928 to 1940, the pleasure steamer President Warfield sailed between Baltimore and Norfolk, Virginia. From its beginning the SS President Warfield sailed Virginia waters in the Chesapeake Bay.

At the onset of WWII, the President Warfield was taken out of service and converted into a troop and supply ship for the British Navy in 1940 - 1941.

During the war it survived several military sea battles and after being repaired and renovated, it was assigned to serve with the American Navy. The proud President Warfield took part in the Invasion of Europe, at a place called Normany, France, on 6th June 1944, the greatest military invasion in the history of the world.

At the end of WWII the Navy anchored the President Warfield in the ships' graveyard in Baltimore.

Here, the President Warfield came to the attention of the Haganah, who, at the end of 1946, bought it through an intermediary for $60,000. Ike Aronowicz, who was later to become its Captain, immediately saw the suitability of this pleasure steamer for its future task. The President Warfield had a very short draught of 2.40 metres that would allow it to sail close up to the coast of Palestine to disembark its refugees without other ships being able to follow it.

In January 1947 the initial conversions were carried out to the ship. By the end of January the entire crew had been assembled, through Haganah contacts. There were nearly 40 young Jewish volunteers from all over the USA. Some of these were: Cyril Weinstein, Eli Kalm, William Bernstein, Bernard Marks, Ben Foreman, Frank Lavine, Avi Livni, Nat Adler, Sam Schulmann, Murray Aronoff, and Rev. John Stanley Grauel, Methodist minister, who was the official observer for the American Christian Palestine Committee. Men living in Richmond, Virginia, were involved in the effort. On 18th February 1947, the Honduras consulate granted a certificate allowing the ship to sail under its flag.

Six days later, on 24th February 1947, the ship took to sea. The journey ended a day later on 25th February 1947 the President Warfield encountered a storm and had to be towed into Norfolk, Virginia, harbor. The complete loss of supplies and the damage could be managed, but British intelligence was aroused through the reports in the press.

The British government sought to prevent the ship from sailing by attempting to stop it sailing under the Honduran flag.

However, the attempt came too late. By the time the British were successfully able to bring pressure on the Honduran government the President Warfield was already in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship left the coast of America on 29th March 1947 heading for Europe, with British Intelligence in tow.

Read more about the President Warfield

Advertising for the pleasure steamer President Warfield.
(Archiv Ursula Litzmann, Düren).

Some crew members of the President Warfield, captain Ike Aronowicz fourth from left.
(Horst Siebecke, Eurasburg).

Former Captain Ike Aronowicz, today in Israel known as Ike Aranne.
(Archiv Günther Scharberg, Hamburg).