To leave the Netherlands will not be easy. German soldiers guard all seaports. Aware that many people will try to cross the English Channel by boat, they are especially vigilant in the south
But the Dutch have lived by the sea for a long time. Truss Wijsmuller
introduces you to a Mr. Laas who reassures you.
Meet me tomorrow morning; you are going on a picnic in the country.
And so you do — to the small town of Den Helder, north of Amsterdam.
As you sit on the beach there eating bread and cheese, you are joined by a
broad-shouldered young man. Mr. Kaas introduces you to his brother
Hendryk, and they ask you to follow them. Hidden in a small cove is a
fishing boat, already loaded with nine other Jewish refugees. You will
complete the minyan. Of course you must wait until nightfall
before attempting the crossing.
Because Hendryk Klaas is an expert seaman, the German boats do not spot you. You land at great Yarmouth and are met by Lola Hann Warburg, one of the founders of Youth Aliyah. She suggests you join a group of Jewish young people outside the northern city of York. They are learning the techniques of farming so that they can eventually move to Palestine. You join the group. After the war, however, unable to locate your parents, you decide to join a cousin who lives in Canada.