Exodus Page #8

- Thank you.

Have you seen Mr. Ben Canaan?

I want to thank him for letting me on the ship.

He and the other Haganah guys

went over the side two hours ago.

Too many British soldiers

on the reception committee.

- Karen?

- Have you seen Dov?

No, not since he left the ship.

- He was assigned to Gan Dafna.

- He'll show up.

I'm going to the American consulate

and then to the Jewish Agency.

As soon as I find anything,

loll come to Gan Dafna.

Gan Dafna, all aboard.

- Bye, Karen.

- If you see Dov, tell him where I am.

Inside.

This is no accident, he's got the address

written down. Fetch the car.

Here, you dirty little Irgun swine.

Hello?

Shalom.

Yaov, take the dog out.

Again?

A boy about 17 just went into Asa's house.

They took him in a police car. Get a look at him.

- What's your name?

- Karen. What's yours?

Edna. Come, we'll go up and eat something.

Now, if you will please resume a little order...

...I will introduce a man

who has done more than any other...

...to establish our village of Gan Dafna.

Only 10 days ago...

...he was in London, negotiating with the British.

Today he is home again.

I have the honour to present

Mr. Barak Ben Canaan...

...member of the Executive Committee...

...of the Jewish Agency for Palestine.

My dear young friends, I know you're very tired.

You've had a long trip,

so I'm not going to make speeches.

It's good to have parties like this.

But it's also good to know what you're here for.

You are here to learn. You are here to work.

You are here to build

a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

It says on the banner "young heroes. " Very fine.

But here at Gan Dafna you will find

that even the biggest hero...

...must work in the fields,

just like the littlest coward.

Boys and girls,

when I came to Palestine 47 years ago...

...it was not a musical reception

with little cakes served.

I came walking, with my little brother...

...all the way from Russia.

And over in that valley,

the swamps, and mosquitoes so big...

...they were picking fights with the sparrows.

Now we have changed those swamps

into such fields.

On a quiet night, you can hear the corn grow.

Oranges so big...

...five already make a dozen.

Over there you see the Arab village of Abu Yesha.

In those days, my old friend Kammal...

...may God rest his soul...

...was mukhtar of the village.

And then one day,

he donated to us this ground...

...on which you stand, for a youth village.

So, we began to build this place.

And again it wasn't a matter

of little cakes and music.

It meant more sweat, more work.

Look about you.

You will see Arab children here.

Three of them, grandsons of that same Kammal...

...the mukhtar who gave us this land.

It grieves me that he isn't with us today

to see all this.

But he's been gathered to the bosom of Allah.

Speak always that name with respect.

With us, instead,

we have the son of Kammal, Taha...

...an honour to his father's memory.

Raised part of the time in my house,

with my own dear son, Ari...

...and with my dear daughter, Jordana,

who sits beside him in this place.

I want you to give particular attention

to what he's going to tell to you.

Here is Taha, son of Kammal, since five years...

...mukhtar of Abu Yesha.

Thank you, Barak Ben Canaan.

Village president, Dr. Ernst Lieberman.

In this valley of Jezreel,

we dwell together as friends.

It is natural that we should live in peace.

Since even our words for it

are almost exactly the same.

We say salaam...

...and you, shalom.

Let us seal our friendship forever

with that most beautiful of Hebrew toasts.

L'chaim, to life.

L'chaim!

Come on.

Dov Landau.

Immigration says you're legal,

so we've no reason to keep you.

The Jewish Agency sent a bus ticket

and lunch money.

You're assigned to Gan Dafna.

You take my advice and go there.

Don't hang around Haifa. You'll get in trouble.

Don't wander into the Arab section.

Or you'll run into the Mufti's gangsters

and they'll kill you, son.

They'll slit your throat.

And keep away from the Irgun.

- And then, after the ghetto was destroyed?

- I hid in the sewers for five months.

Eating what?

When I couldn't sneak out at night

and steal garbage, I killed rats.

And then one night they caught me.

- And they sent you to Auschwitz?

- Yes.

To what work were you assigned in Auschwitz?

I told you that twice already.

It was mostly clean up.

- Cleaning up what?

- The camp area.

That's all there was to do.

That and working in the kitchens.

And when Auschwitz was liberated,

you walked to Germany?

You asked me that already, too.

May I talk with the young man for a moment?

So you want to blow up British installations

for the Irgun?

Yes.

You're an expert dynamiter, true?

Just try me.

There's still a point or two

we do not completely understand.

- Will you assist us in making them clear?

- Sure.

And make certain to tell the truth?

Why shouldn't I tell the truth?

This is always hard to answer.

First, I will ask you, please,

to recreate for me again how it was in Auschwitz.

Now, think most carefully about it,

and describe it to me.

Describe what?

Whatever you like.

For instance, how it was that people

were chosen to live or to be killed.

First you undressed...

...and then they clipped your hair.

And then you all lined up,

and you went to the station room.

So the way you remember it,

they were men, women, children...

...all together and all naked.

Yes.

And then the doctors examined you...

...and told you what gate to take.

There were three gates.

If you were to be killed,

then you went through the left gate.

Which most of them did.

Yes. Most.

But if you were strong enough to work,

then you went through the right gate.

Which you did.

Yes.

- And then they assigned you to-

- You said there were three gates.

Who went through the third gate?

Girls.

- All the girls?

- No.

Only if they were young and pretty.

What happened to them?

The SS guards kept some of them.

The rest were sent around to army camps...

...for the soldiers.

You have a good memory.

Now, those who went

through the left gate to be killed...

...how was the killing accomplished

in Auschwitz?

They went in to take showers,

And the doors were locked.

And then came the gas.

Very professional. One thing I overlooked.

You say you got this dynamiting experience

in the Warsaw Ghetto fighting Nazis.

That's right.

You blew up quite a few Nazis

with this dynamite?

All I could.

Good.

Now, return to Auschwitz, please.

From the gas chambers, the bodies went where?

The ovens.

At Auschwitz,

they had crematoriums only at the last.

Before the installation of the ovens,

what happened to the bodies?

They buried them.

How?

In trenches and holes.

- And who dug the holes?

- I don't know.

I ask you again, who dug the graves?

I don't know.

They had demolition squads.

At least sometimes they did.

To blow holes in the ground...

...then dump the bodies in.

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