Rabbi Sam Groh was excited but nervous as the coral waters that surrounded the Greek isles came into focus. They were just moments away from landing, and Peled and the rabbi were wide awake. The rabbi fidgeted in his chair like an animated schoolboy. His anxious presence was starting to make Peled a bit nervous. So, despite his usual disdain for small talk, the serious man chose to engage the rabbi in conversation in the hopes of calming him down.
“It’s a beautiful country from above, isn’t it, Rabbi?” he offered.
“Sure is. Amazing how peaceful it is from up here, but how much upheaval there is down there. For years Europe in my mind has just been one big ball of fire. Not a real place with beaches and hills and mountains.”
For a moment the rabbi was choked up thinking about the devastation that had befallen his people over the last six years. He imagined that this was nothing new for Peled. This was not his first such mission. He had been working with survivors for a few months already. He had been in Europe and had stared into the lifeless eyes of the survivors. Plus, he did not grow up on the beaches of Miami. He grew up learning how to handle a rife and defend his community from marauding Arab invaders. These were two men on the same mission but coming from two very different worlds.
Peled could appreciate what the rabbi was now experiencing. After all, even though his vantage point came from the safety and security of the United States, it was still his brothers and sisters he was forced to watch walk helplessly to the slaughter. He was about to set foot on the continent that had dominated his thoughts for the last five years. For the rabbi, Jewish survival was of the utmost importance. That is what had attracted the Haganah to him in the first place, and Peled could appreciate that. Peled came from a different reality. His father never left Israel for the States. But that was not Rabbi Groh’s fault, and Peled reminded himself not to lose patience with the rabbi’s sentimentality as he touched ground for the first time on the Jewish graveyard known as Europe.
For David Peled, this was just another mission. It was not his first time helping smuggle Jews from Europe into Palestine. He had always had a hard time with these American Jews who would drop in to help their poor brothers and sisters, and then head back home. Not every Jew had the privilege of growing up in the States. They all meant well, but when the dust settled and the mission was accomplished, Peled and his friends would be left fighting in the ditches while the Americans would be back in Miami, strolling on their beaches and working on their tans.
“Listen, Rabbi, when we land, a couple Haganah guys will pick us up and bring us to the ship. They will take us to the port where we will meet the ship captain, the Haganah commander for this mission, and eventually the passengers.”
The rabbi nodded that he understood the plan. “What should I do when we get there? Do I immediately begin helping the passengers?”
“I would just begin to get to know anyone who wants to get to know you. These people do not trust anyone. You have to earn their trust before they will talk to you. Just be a helping hand. The commander will introduce you as a rabbi. Those who want or need to talk to you will come to you. Don’t force conversation. It will be clear when they need you.”
The rabbi nodded again, and Peled was comfortable that the rabbi would follow the protocol. You couldn’t necessarily tell someone how to communicate with a survivor. It was different than any other type of communication. The rabbi would learn this, but he would have to learn it from his own personal experience.
The plane was moments away from landing on the makeshift runway slightly north of the beachhead. Just a couple of minutes later, the plane landed, and Peled patted the pilot on the back. Then he led the rabbi towards the exit and onto the tarmac. First, he embraced one of his colleagues and then introduced the rabbi to the Haganah man standing in front of a jeep. “Rabbi Sam Groh, please say hello to Commander Benny Goren.”
Commander Goren turned to his new guest and said, “Welcome to Greece, Rabbi Groh. We appreciate your help on this mission.”
“Thank you, I am honored to help you in any way I can, Commander,” the rabbi responded with a smile.
“Please call me Benny. We are not so formal here.”
“My pleasure, Benny, thank you.”
“There are many other Jews who are trying to get to Palestine, but they are coming from a much different place than you. We are glad you are here to help us all.”
“Anything I can do to help you, just tell me,” responded Rabbi Groh with pride. Finally, the rabbi was doing something tangible for his people, and he was bursting with pride.
“You can start by hopping in the jeep. We just have a short ride to the port where our group is preparing to board the ship.”