Page 20 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Autumn 21

let you off the hook with movement work."
"Let's be frank. We're your Chevra, not those

at Kfar Hanassi." "Think about it. You won't
be there in under three years." They'd planned

the whole onslaught and I bowed my head in
deference.

1960 Southern Bonim – Eder Farm

From Left: Mike Eskin, Norman ?, Myra Green
z”l, Miriam Schick, Aryeh (Leon) Epstein, Sheila
Eskin, Lew Coptch (Eliyahu Ben-Yisrael) z”l

movement veterans like me (I was 21), it was
time to make big decisions – Kibbutz, yes, or
no? Join a Gar'in, yea or nay? Most who
nayed usually dropped out, but whoever
reached the affirmative conclusion had joined 1961 Veida Carmarthen – The Zig

Gar'in Hey and many were already at Kfar From left: Mike (Abels) Arbel, Aryeh (Leon) Epstein
Hanassi. Inviting myself to a weekend of Let's face it, they were right on most counts
Heyniks still in the UK, I was asked about my and their logic unassailable. Feeling a bit
plans and made it clear that I was still at my guilty, I attended a merry Vavnik weekend at
pharmacy studies, and that it would be a the Chava, and fell for it hook, line and
while before I could commit myself. Upon sinker. I had my two buddies draft me an
which one wag quipped "What, apology to the Mazkir of Hey and moved
pharmaceutics? We're going to need a lot of down one letter.
farmers' suits," which I thought was brilliant!
For my part, I shared with them my vision of
setting up a pharma-industry based on home-
grown plant drugs for medicinal purposes. So
don't get any wrong ideas.

However, soon after being inducted into Hey,
Gar'in Vav sprang into existence and Hey
were still pressing me: "Nu, Leon. When?"
So, unsurprisingly, over coffee and strudel in
Swiss Cottage, a couple of Vavnik pals began
brainstorming me. Know the caper? "What's 1961 Penrith Northern Weekend
there in Gar'in Hey for you?" "Most of them From left: Gila (Sheridan) Blitz, Alan Green
are already in Kfar Hanassi and you're still z”l, Aryeh (Leon) Epstein, Carole (Samuels)
poring over books in college." "Before you, Jacobson, ? , Jane (Robins) Forman z”l,
Bernie Burns, z”l, Sylvia Michaelson, Eleanor
there's still Hachshara, and Habo ain't gonna Kaplan
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