His family moved to Petah Tikva, but eventually settled in Tel Aviv.

[citation needed] With the outbreak of World War II, Erell joined the British merchant marine.

In January 1966, Erell was promoted to the rank of Aluf (Major General) and became the Commander of the Israeli Navy.

In 1968, he resigned from his posts as Commander of the Israeli Navy and he retired from the IDF.

[citation needed] After retiring, Erell received a master's degree in administration from Columbia University.