Page 67 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Autumn 21
P. 67
THE ELIXIR OF HURST and Milton Taylor. There were of course
many more there at that time, but they do not
GRANGE come into this study and so are not mentioned
specifically.
FRANCIS VAN EMDEN Sylvia and Sheila left in the
F spring of 1950 with the large
oreword: I am not a
scientist, nor have I had
group that went to Bet HaEmek.
any form of scientific
next generation, who in the
training. I have however Hurst Grange was then left to the
had more than a passing interest in fullness of time founded Garin
statistics. For this feature, I put the Gimmel. I have no precise
blame on my old headmaster at knowledge of how many were
Raines School, who for want of resident at the Grange during the
anything really positive to say three-year period from October
about me in my school leaving 1949 to October 1952 but I would
document wrote “he has a certain hazard a guess of between 40-50.
ability in mathematics”. This just goes to Out of that number I have a list of 14 ex-
show that he must have been wiser than he residents who are still alive and with us at the
seemed. For most of my working life I been time of writing, and I would like to take this
dealing with accounts and accounting.
opportunity to wish them continued good
Since time immemorial mankind has sought health and many more years of happy living.
the Elixir of Life, or the Fountain of Youth, I have no information regarding the mortality
or whatever will halt or delay the aging rate of those who have unfortunately fallen
process. But before you get too excited, I can by the wayside, but I have no reason to
state categorically that I do not claim to have believe that it was not normal for such a
found it. I merely wish to put before you, group, although one particular death was
certain facts for consideration. caused by an accident* and not by natural
causes. I therefore put forward the premise
that the number who have survived to this
day, is in fact way-above what we would
normally have expected.
I have tried to find some logical explanation
for this situation, but with no luck. I
examined the origins of each of the survivors
but could find no common denominator. A
group of three hailed from that strange land
1952 Hurst Grange Hachsharah north of Hadrian’s Wall (Scotland), another
Henry and Gila (Joyce) Cohen small group came from Liverpool. Sheila
When I arrived at Hurst Grange in October came from some tiny indeterminate spot in
1949 (yes, it was in the last century), three of the center of England, Howard from
the subjects of this study were already there – Brighton and the rest were Londoners.
Sylvia Rom (Brook), Sheila Behr (Tish) Nothing is there to show a positive
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