She Brought Them Home

There were many heroes involved in the incredible effort to secretly bring thousands of imperiled Jews from Europe after the war to the Land of Israel despite the British blockade. More than 30 ships, transporting close to 30,000 refugees, left from the shores of Italy. The success of this operation was due, in great part, to the efforts of one remarkable Italian-Jewish woman, Ada Ascarelli Sereni.

Ada Ascarelli was born on June 20, 1905, into a wealthy and prominent Italian-Jewish family. After studying chemistry at the University of Rome, she married Enzo Sereni, who was completing his PhD in philosophy. Life moved quickly for the Serenis. Between 1927 and 1930 their daughter Hannah was born; they moved to British Mandate Palestine; their second daughter Hagar was born in Rehovot; they helped found Kibbutz Givat Brenner and their son Daniel was born.

Ada Sereni’s story could have followed a similar path as that of other early Zionist pioneers, if events had not turned tragic. Enzo helped organize and participated in a parachute troop and, in 1944, was dropped behind enemy lines in Europe. He then disappeared and was eventually declared missing. Ada, determined to find out what happened to her husband, arranged to travel to Italy under the pretense of caring for the soldiers of the Jewish Brigade. Sadly, it did not take long after arriving in Europe for Ada to learn that Enzo had been captured, sent to Dachau and executed.

Having committed to two years with the Jewish Brigade, Ada stayed on in Italy and began working with Yehuda Arazi of Aliyah Bet, bringing Jews to Palestine against British law. When Arazi left, Ada took over the monumental tasks of acquiring ships, gathering and preparing refugees, staffing the ships, as well as smuggling weapons.

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