Page 28 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Autumn 21

she made us feel at home immediately.
1963 Circa. Leeds Jubilee Hall. From left: Viv (Layton)
Davies, Jed Newman. Yehudit (Clynes) Vinegrad
The simple serious life for us. Deep thinking
socialists. We signed on for a year’s work and
study on the Hachsharat Noar of 1964-65 at
the David Eder Farm, believing that going to
be a farm labourer would prove that we
practised what we believed in.
Up to the moment we parted from our
families and set off for the very long journey
(train from Leeds to London/train to
Horsham and bus to Dial Post), we were full
of self-confidence. As the hours passed, our
feelings of uneasiness grew. It was a dark
autumn evening when we got off the last bus
and began the long walk up Ashurst Lane to
the farm. We were carrying all our luggage –
I can’t remember exactly what, but I presume
in those days we had suitcases, and they
definitely didn’t have wheels. All I remember
is an endless walk in the dark, stopping to rest
every few minutes because of the weight we
were carrying.
Just as we were beginning to feel lost and
desperate, we saw lights ahead, and the other
members of our Noar group were coming out
to look for us. Our madricha was Brenda
Landes, who was, and still is, one of the most
loving and friendliest people in the world and
28
Brenda’s husband, Mike Landes (RIP) was
the Meracez Meshek. Later on, George
(Yigal) Levine joined her in taking
responsibility for our education and welfare.
We were a little in awe of George because he
was very tall, older than us (by two or three
years) and he had already completed the
Machon course in Israel.
There was a hierarchy in Habonim in the
There was a hierarchy in Habonim in the
‘60s. One didn’t get special favours (we
‘60s. One didn’t get special favours (we were
strict socialists), but you did get admiring
were strict socialists), but you did get
glances glances if you:
if
you:
admiring
a) were on Hachsharat Noar (youth training
a) were on Hachsharat Noar (youth training
course) b) had been on Machon (youth
course) b) had been on Machon (youth
leadership course in Israel) and c) the
leadership course in Israel) and c) the
pinnacle: Hachshara on the David Eder
pinnacle: Hachshara on the David Eder Farm
for people preparing to go on Aliya to
Farm for people preparing to go on Aliya to
Kibbutz.
Kibbutz.
Winter 1964, Beit Noar. Eder Farm. Back row from left: Lou
Segal, Stan Tannen, George Bookbinder, Dave Hyams, Mike
Lewis. Front row: Ziona, Carole (Barber) Zelas, Michal,
Yehudit (Clynes) Vinegrad, Gill (Nathen) Bentov, Maxine
(Spungin) Toshner, Zak Kaye
For those who are unfamiliar with the set-up
on the Chava (farm): There were two groups
of people in two separate houses. The 22
young men and women who were on
Hachshara plus a shaliach (emissary from
Israel), who at that time was from Kfar
Hanassi, Lou Segal (RIP). He lived with his