THE CONTEXT FOR REPAIRING THE BREACH
Revivals in the UK from the time of the Puritans to the Welsh Revival caused many to study the Bible and see how Israel and the Jewish people were key in God's purposes. William Wilberforce and Lord Shaftsbury were two prominent leaders who shared God's passion for the Jewish people's salvation and their return to their land.

In 1917 the Balfour Declaration reflected the desire that many British Christians had to see Bible prophecy fulfilled regarding the restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. This declaration was incorporated into international law in the San Remo Treaty (1920) and the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine (1922). To understand the significance of the San Remo treaty please watch this excellent short explanation (left) or watch the excellent programme filmed in Jerusalem and featuring key Israeli leaders and diplomats. www.ec4i.org.

In 2017, "Repairing the Breach" was invited to participate in two official Israeli commemorations of the refugee ship, EXODUS 1947 and the more than 4,500 refugee passengers - survivors of the Holocaust. Verity Steele, a musician based in Hampshire, U.K. had learned a little British Mandate history for the first time whilst working in an Israeli orchestra in the 1980s. 

Verity Steele playing the viola with Shuli Natan, a well-known Israeli singer.

However, the shocking and traumatic nature of the EXODUS affair took on a far more personal tone when she discovered that her uncle had served on a British Naval Destroyer - one of the ships that intercepted the EXODUS in July 1947, resulting in the repatriation of its human cargo back to Germany, of all places! When she was invited to accompany the renowned Israeli singer, Shuli Natan, performing Yerushalayim Shel Zahav at the first of these ceremonies (July 2017), Verity was able to express her personal sorrow over the sufferings caused to the Jewish people by the cruel and shameful British policies of the time.

We, the RTB group as a whole, had the privilege of meeting survivors and spent time listening to their stories well into the afternoon. At the second event (Sept. 2017), which had been organised by survivors and many of their sons and daughters, we, and a specially organised tour group from the U.K. were able to hand out cards expressing our sorrow. Many hearts were deeply touched as the expressions of our heart brought reconciliation. One Holocaust survivor, Rivka, wrote of her experience that day, saying, "Here I like to tell you dear Jan (Cooper), and all the team that I met, I did not expect that today there are people like you with sea change. That gives me optimism for a better future world?"

In September 2019 Rosie Ross and Jan Cooper joined an Israel Heritage tour to Hamburg organised by the Exodus 1947 families. They had the privilege alongside German Christians, students, teachers and civic dignitaries to be part of ceremonies where the families were welcomed and honoured.

Jan with Ester

Ester Rubinstein aged 12 on the Exodus said, "You are so humble to come from the UK to be with us, to listen and be at our side." At the British former D.P. Camp, now a German naval base in Sengwarden, the German naval officers received all our group in their canteen. Being served hot soup meant so much. Zeev Aarnon said, "When the war was on, the German army denied me food ...now the German soldiers in uniform are serving me. This was an unforgettable moment. A closing of a circle."

The story of the Exodus 1947 has been captured in this musical prepared by March of Life in Germany with whom we have a growing relationship. If you are interested in hosting this musical, do let us know.

On November 29th 2020 RTB and the Mary Sisters hosted a webinar for Love Never Fails to mark 80 years since the "Patria Disaster". We were most grateful to Anne Heelis of Nachamu Ami, Mike and Lynn McNally of March of Life and Roy Thurley chair of LNF for their key contributions.

The SS Patria, accidentally sunk by Jewish fighters attempting to stop it being used to exile to detention in Mauritius, Jewish refugees escaping the Holocaust.

The whole webinar is available on the right (1hr, 36mins). Watch highlights of the individual testimonies of those who were on the ship, above and the film made by Cila Ganot featuring Gidon's (survivor) family and members of RTB.

The Patria disaster was the sinking on 25 November 1940 by the Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah of a French-built ocean liner, the 11,885-ton SS Patria, in the port of Haifa, killing 267 people and injuring 172.
At the time of the sinking, Patria was carrying about 1,800 Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe whom the British authorities were deporting from Mandatory Palestine to Mauritius because they lacked entry permits. Zionist organizations opposed the deportation, and the underground paramilitary Haganah group planted a bomb intended to disable the ship to prevent it from leaving Haifa.

It was a privilege for us to commemorate this anniversary of the Patria disaster with survivors and their families. This event happened within days of other survivors of the disaster commemorating it in Israel and in conjunction with Holocaust centres in different countries.