Page 68 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Autumn 21
P. 68
indication. I then considered the matter of the buildings were demolished, and in their
their food and here again there were no stead was built a retirement home for the
abnormalities, as everybody ate the same elderly. Coincidence or with foresight, who
meals, except maybe for Yoash ל"ז who knows. I would be interested to know if there
categorically refused to eat any food that had is any unusual longevity in the lives of the
been cooked with cheese. (The fact that residents now there. If there is anybody who
cheese was never used as an ingredient in our has the necessary knowledge, ability and
cooked foods made no difference, he was resources to do a really scientific study, using
convinced otherwise and that we were all my basic material, I can only say I would be
lying to him.) honored and not in the least jealous.
The other exception was the abnormal This material was intended for publication in
consumption of sandwiches, devoured by the The Lancet, the official journal of the British
males during the five-day working-week. But Medical Association but I have succumbed to
as the females of the group outnumbered the the appeals of Chairman Barry and his
males, that is also not an acceptable factor. trusted lieutenant Coral and have agreed to
All of the above leads me to one conclusion let them print if first.
and that is - the source of such longevity must Here is the list of those from Hurst Grange
be in the water.
who are still with us, as far as possible in
At this point I would like to explain for those chronological order: Alf Mann, Sylvia Rom,
who never knew Hurst Grange that there Sheila Behr, Henry Cohen, Steffa Reis,
were two distinct sources of water. One was Van (Francis Van Emden), Milton Taylor,
what came out of the taps and the other the Gila (Joyce) Cohen, Chana (Rosie)
drainage-ditch that surrounded part of the Hyman, Una, Shula Nadel, Devora
grounds and was known in Berkshire-speak (Dorothy) Beth and Howard Goldsmith. In
as the Ha-Ha. This particular water source addition, I include Tehila (Gloria) Bak
was also used by some male residents to (Lipton) who originally was on hachshara at
supplement their meager tobacco allowance. Bosham, but when Four Winds was closed,
Unsuspecting visitors from Habonim Office she transferred to Hurst Grange until leaving
in London were challenged to bets of a packet to go on Aliyah with the first group of Garin
of smokes if one of the residents would be Gimmel in October 1952.
prepared to jump into the wintry icy murky I have given this list separately as I would
waters of the Ha-Ha. There were always like to hope that by the time (and if) this is
takers and always tobacco starved residents printed they will all still be with us.
who had no fear of the icy waters.
*The accident referred to above was the
I have therefore come to the conclusion that unfortunate mistake which brought about the
the unusual longevity of our group was terrible loss of our dear friend of many years
caused by the water we drank out of the taps. Tommy Berman.
Also, maybe, from that with which we
washed. The dictionary gives two definitions of
curious – searching for knowledge and
Unfortunately, Hurst Grange no longer unusual. Both of these fitted Tommy
exists. After the hachshara was closed down,
perfectly. All his adult life was spent
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