They wanted to go. They ended up being a part of a crucial event on the path to a Jewish state.
When the SS Exodus left France on July 11, 1947, the 4,500 Holocaust survivors on board had one main goal: to rebuild their lives in a future Jewish state.
However, the refugees encountered resistance from the British and were denied entry into Mandate Palestine.
The story of their plight helped sway the course of events that created the State of Israel.
This momentous event was another milestone in the epic history of modern Israel.