The Summer Institute’s film series offers its final film of the season, Waves of Freedom, this Sunday at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center. Coming to the Island from the Boston Jewish Film Festival, this is a documentary about a naval engagement on the shores of what was then Palestine on the eve of the creation of Israel.

The Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary group whose 40-year relationship with the occupying British was something of a roller-coaster ride.

After World War II, the Haganah focused its attention on anti-British operations. These included liberating interned immigrants, mostly Holocaust survivors trying to get to Palestine, from British internment camps.

In 1947, the Haganah recruited Paul Kaye and 25 other Americans to help break the British naval blockade of Palestine. The recruits set sail in a dilapidated ship, picked up 1,500 displaced persons in the dead of night, and engaged in a naval battle with three British warships.

And that is just the beginning of their astounding true story. Special guest Arthur Bernstein was one of the Americans who participated. He’ll be Summer Institute’s special guest this Sunday.

Waves of Freedom screens this Sunday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Centre street in Vineyard Haven. Tickets are $10.