Gdynia to Neve-Yam : The Jewish Fisherman ’s Courses within the Bays of Gdańsk and Puck in the Interwar Period.

Summary The “Palestinian Pioneers” began their organized Gdynia ventures in 1934. They stayed in the kibutz called the Jewish Work Centre “Hechaluc-Pionier-Gordonia” and found work in the port companies founded on Jewish capital. After the completion of work training, Zionist organizations and the board of The Committee for Fulfilling Tasks of the Jewish Commune in Gdynia directed these people to Palestine. The “Gordonia” prepared them – professionally and culturally for the incoming experience of emigration. It carefully educated the Jews in question as regards both navigation and fishing as well as languages: Hebrew, English at the general knowledge courses. The training was conducted by Captain Gustav Pietsch and Engineer Leon Komorowski, whereas the fisherman’s practice within the basins of the Bays of: Gdańsk and Puck – a Gdańsk fisherman Józef Koss. The training was conducted according to the rules as applied for such courses in Western Europe. On the whole, in the years 1936–1939 the kibbutz welcomed and farewelled at least 77 persons from various parts of the Republic of Poland II. The Neve-Yam kibbutz which these people established in Palestine in 1939 became a training base for subsequent groups of young “Pioneers” from Central and Eastern Europe.