Samuel Herschel Schulman (July 8, 1928 – July 5, 2019) was the last surviving American crew member of the ship ''1947'', which tried to bring thousands of Holocaust survivors from Europe to

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine was a British Empire, British geopolitical entity that existed between 1920 and 1948 in the Palestine (region), region of Palestine, and after 1922, under the terms of the League of Nations's Mandate for Palestine. After ...

. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, to Jewish immigrants from Poland, he moved to Paris in 1932, surviving the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

in hiding in central France. After the war, he was repatriated to the United States where he joined the

Aliyah Bet ''Aliyah Bet'' (, "Aliyah 'B'" – bet being the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet) was the code name given to illegal immigration by Jews, many of whom were refugees escaping from Nazi Germany or other Nazi-controlled countries, and la ...

, the clandestine immigration movement to bring Jews who survived the Holocaust in Europe to Mandatory Palestine, and then fought with Israel in the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

. Schulman returned to the United States in the 1950s and was drafted to the US Army during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, serving two years training soldiers at

Camp Edwards Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation located in western Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It was named after Major General Clarence Edwards, commander of the 26th Division in World War I. The base is cur ...

on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After being released from the army, he went into the jewelry business in New York City.

Early life

Indiana

Samuel Schulman was born in

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and its metropolitan area had a population of 168,716. Located along the Wabash River about e ...

, Indiana, on July 8, 1928. His parents Hillel and Sarah Schulman (née Sobkowska) immigrated to the United States from

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland, in the 1920s. After his father died of appendicitis in 1932, he moved to Poland with his mother to be with her family. Sarah Schulman remarried to an Orthodox rabbi, Moses Maidenbaum, and moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France, in 1933.

France

In May 1940, Germany invaded France and occupied Paris the following month. Sarah Schulman and her son had to register as Jews in order to obtain ration cards; she had to wear a

Jewish star The Star of David (, , ) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles. A derivation of the Seal of Solomon was used for decora ...

, but Sam Schulman, an American citizen, was exempt. Since Sarah Schulman was officially stateless, she could not return to the United States. In July 1942, after the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

conducted a round-up of Parisian Jews, Sam Schulman and his mother fled Paris. His step-father was on a business trip to the United States when the war broke out and could not return to France. Schulman and his mother were smuggled on a freight train to

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...

, in the unoccupied zone, from where they continued to La Creuse. They remained in hiding in the small town of

Pionnat Pionnat (; ) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Geography A farming area comprising the village and several hamlets situated by the banks of the Creuse, some east of Guéret, at the junc ...

, France, from 1942 to 1945. While Schulman and his mother survived

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, most of his family in Poland, including his grandmother, aunts and uncles, were murdered in

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

. In February 1946, Schulman and his mother were repatriated to United States through the

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society HIAS, founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, is a Jewish American nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees. It was established on in 1881 to help Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States escaping antisemit ...

(HIAS).

''Exodus 1947'' and Aliyah Bet

In March 1947, Schulman was instructed by a contact in the

Haganah Haganah ( , ) was the main Zionist political violence, Zionist paramilitary organization that operated for the Yishuv in the Mandatory Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine. It was founded in 1920 to defend the Yishuv's presence in the reg ...

in New York to go to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, where he thought he would board a ship as a passenger to British-mandate Palestine. When he got to the Baltimore Harbor on March 23, 1947, he learned that he was to become part of the

Mossad LeAliyah Bet The Mossad LeAliyah Bet (, ) was a branch of the paramilitary organization Haganah in British Mandatory Palestine, and later the State of Israel, that operated to facilitate Jewish immigration to British Palestine. During the Mandate period, it ...

and serve as a crew member aboard the

ship ''Exodus 1947''. ''Exodus 1947'' left

Sète Sète (; , ), also historically spelled ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises'' (fem ...

, France, on July 11, 1947, carrying 4,515 Jewish refugees.

Ike Aronowicz Yitzhak Aronowicz (; August 27, 1923 – December 23, 2009) was an Israeli sailor, best known as the captain of the immigrant ship SS Exodus, SS ''Exodus'', which unsuccessfully tried to dock in British-era Palestine with Holocaust survivors on Ju ...

was the ship's captain and the

commander of the operation was

Yossi Harel Yossi Harel (; January 4, 1918 – April 26, 2008) was the commander of the operation and a leading member of the Israeli intelligence community. Biography Yossi Hamburger (later Harel) and his twin brother Natan were born in Jerusalem to M ...

. The ship was manned by a crew of some 35 volunteers, mostly American Jews, including Samuel Schulman. Schulman also sailed on two other

ships, the ''Pan Crescent'' and ''Pan York'', which left from the port of

Burgas Burgas (, ), sometimes transliterated as Bourgas, is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, fourth-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, an ...

, Bulgaria, on December 27, 1947, with over 15,000 immigrants. Several days later they were stopped by British warships and forced to anchor at

Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...

, Cyprus. About his experience on the ships, Schulman once said:

''“The Exodus might have been the most famous of all the Aliya Bet ships, but the Pan ships brought the largest number of refugees from Europe at one time.”''

Schulman spent six weeks in a British internment camp on

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

before being smuggled out by the

in January 1948 on the Jewish passenger liner the ''Kedmah'' under the alias of one of the immigrants approved by the monthly British quota to

. ''Exodus 1947'' was popularized in

Leon Uris Leon Marcus Uris (August 3, 1924 – June 21, 2003) was an American author of historical fiction who wrote many bestselling books, including '' Exodus'' (published in 1958) and ''Trinity'' (published in 1976). Uris was a co-founder of the Write ...

' 1958 bestselling novel ''

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

'', and later made into a Hollywood

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

based on the book starring

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

Israel

Arriving in the port of Haifa in January 1948, Schulman headed south to help settle Kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev with friends he knew from his youth movement days in France. He would then fight with Israel in the

, training seamen in navigation at a naval base in Haifa. In June 1987, Schulman and other

Aliya Bet ''Aliyah Bet'' (, "Aliyah ''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today ch ...

volunteers were honored by Israeli President

Chaim Herzog Chaim Herzog (; 17 September 1918 – 17 April 1997) was an Israeli politician, military officer, lawyer and author who served as the president of Israel between 1983 and 1993. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Dublin, the son of Ireland' ...

for their contributions to the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. At this first reunion of the American volunteers in Jerusalem, Herzog said:

''"Out of six million American Jews, it was you who jumped into the breach.''"

In a letter to mark the occasion, then-Minister of Defense,

Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...

, wrote:

''"Your participation in the struggle of the Jewish People to bring the Holocaust survivors to Eretz Israel will be inscribed in the history of the People of Israel as a bright chapter of volunteering spirit and as a meaningful contribution to the establishment of Israel."''

In November 2018, Schulman received a medal and certificate from Israeli Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage Affairs,

Ze'ev Elkin Ze'ev Elkin (born 3 April 1971) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a Member of the Knesset for the New Hope (Israel), New Hope Party. He was previously a member of the Knesset for Kadima, Likud and the National Unity (Israel), Nati ...

, for his contribution to bringing Jewish immigrants to

United States

Shortly after his return to the United States from Israel in 1949, Schulman was drafted to the

. He spent two years training soldiers at

on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, rising to the rank of Sergeant First Class. After the war, Schulman studied at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

and then at the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking in Queens, NY, on the

GI Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the te ...

. He went on to set up a watchmaking business in the diamond exchange district on Canal Street and the Bowery in lower Manhattan where he worked for 40 years.

Personal life

Sam Schulman married Eileen Azif of Mt. Vernon, New York in 1964 and had two sons. His daughter-in-law i
Noa Furman
Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. A long-time resident of

Larchmont Larchmont is a village located within the Town of Mamaroneck in Westchester County, New York. Larchmont is a suburb of New York City, located approximately northeast of Midtown Manhattan. The population of the village is 6,453 as of the W ...

, New York, Sam Schulman moved to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, Virginia in 2014. He died a few days before his 91st birthday.

References

External links

Exodus1947.com
PBS Documentary Film focusing on the secret American involvement, narrated by Morley Safer
Sam Schulman - Oklahoma
Toldot Yisrael YouTube video
Sam Schulman video interview
Virginia Holocaust Museum
Selected Sam Schulman documents and photos
US Holocaust Memorial Museum {{DEFAULTSORT:Schulman, Samuel Herschel 1928 births 2019 deaths Aliyah Bet activists People from Terre Haute, Indiana United States Army personnel of the Korean War American people of Polish-Jewish descent American watchmakers (people) 20th-century American jewellers 21st-century American Jews Brooklyn College alumni American expatriates in France Holocaust survivors Jewish American Mahal personnel of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War