Page 20 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - January 19
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“A LITTLE FISHY” – OVERFLOW*
AUTOBIOGRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY – EXCERPTS
ARYEH EPSTEIN
Arrival & Overture any good-old demo-socialist body. My own needs,
The January night air was fresh and clear, without and personal aspirations would be, for the time
the faintest hint of frost. I was truly thankful. To being, subservient to those of Bnei Dror, and
travel 40 miles on an open motor bike in freezing those in turn would be dictated by the broader
weather, is not my idea of fun. I was all packed, requirements of the kibbutz movement enterprise.
the bike's sidecar choc-a-bloc full of my various Grandiose stuff. The last part of the drive was
belongings, along unlit, back roads of the valleys between the
If you haven't already guessed I was in the process North and South Wold, with nary a white line or
of leaving home for Hachshara having joined the cats' eyes to guide the way. The odd rabbit or fox
latest Gar'in (or "committed core group"). Our darted out of my rackety way.
Gar'in discussions were usually serious, with I arrived at the Saul Haber Farm just as my future
frequent frivolous excursions, but they sometimes buddies, were finishing supper. My eyes were still
degenerated into slogan and cliché sessions with smarting from the strain of night driving and my
catch phrases such as: sudden entry into a cigarette-smoke-filled room.
"A sense of urgency", "self-realisation", total Greeted warmly with handshakes and a few kisses
commitment", "seniority", "to each according to from the ladies, I grabbed a sandwich and a cuppa
his needs and from each according to his ability," and went into the common room to meet the
"for the sake of the group", "Jewish self-labour". Chevra. I had known some of them before and
They might just as easily have been taken from there were two whom I could call good friends,
the minutes of a thumping Soviet leadership but surprises galore awaited me, none more than
meeting. Well, almost. These would be diluted by the fact that I was down to begin work the next
less lofty ones, or plain outbursts like: morning at six a.m. Cor blimey. Six!
"Don't talk nonsense!", "kibbutz kids don't know Shared living
their own parents", "kibbutz kids are arrogant and My new roommate down in the gate-cottage was a
rude", "rubbish!", "crap!", "that's a gross chap around my age, whom I had met only once
generalization – just look at my Benny, he's not or twice previously. Raymond was from
withdrawn", and so on, for hour after hour. Edinburgh and had a slow, pleasant, singing
Familiar, eh? Looked at this way, the platitudes diction. Great company. Trained as a hotel chef,
defeated true dialogue, but for some they became he'd set himself the impossible task of providing
convincing, taking on skin and bone, flesh & us hungry workers with a nourishing and palatable
tendons. Ideas evolved and revolved, arguments fare – impossible as the daily food budget was one
won and lost. shilling and nine pence per head, which even in
those distant days (with the old monetary system)
So now, on this fresh, starlit winter's night, I was was practically nothing. Just don't ask me for an
on my way to join our Bnei Dror Hachshara farm equivalent in today's terms. Miraculously,
in Kent, taking my first major step towards a new Raymond succeeded, despite frightful odds.
life. The light traffic enabled me to ponder over
how the movement secretariat would be "deciding "Well, what's for dinner, Ray?" Jack would ask,
my fate" once I finished the training period, like stamping his dripping Wellingtons all over Ray's
sparkling kitchen floor on his way to the dining
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