Page 33 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - January 19
P. 33
HABONIM’S ROLE IN MY LIFE
STEFFA REIS
I ‘shmattes’ with belongings strewn about. The
n 1938, my mother and I joined my father
noise and smell soon drove us upwards to the
who was already working in medical research
in England since 1934. My parents, who were
swabbed down each morning as the decks were
inclined to Zionism, had heard of this Jewish decks, where we elected to sleep each night until
Youth Movement called Habonim. So I enrolled hosed. The food was unfamiliar, but we were
in the movement around 1944. Being an only rescued by some of the sailors who supplied us
child, I was drawn into the spirit of comradeship with some supplements of sausage and cheese. It
and the sharing of experiences, which I found very was an unforgettable journey, coming as we did
satisfying. Indeed, the ‘Bayit’ became my second from middle-class European homes, on our way to
home, where participating in a rota for washing the Great Adventure – Israel! This was our first
floors was considered a pleasure!! Yearly taste of ‘Kibbutz Galuyot’!
camping adventures, albeit in wet weather, leaky One sailor took a shine to me and presented me
tents, burnt porridge and other delicacies and the with a chromatic harmonica in return for me
rambling excursions were always exciting and teaching him English. Later on, I presented it to
much looked forward to. As we grew older, we Peretz Nadel who was then able to join the
began to understand the meaning of Zionism, the Harmonica Adler Trio.
pioneering spirit and the dire need for a Jewish
home to be found in Israel. We visited the three Reaching the shores of Israel was very emotional
‘hachsharot’ (preparatory farms) in the UK to for all. Haifa and the Carmel first greeted us. The
learn about communal living, and the democratic view down to the bay and upwards to the Carmel
system called a ‘Kibbutz’ that already existed in range was unforgettable. The newly built
Israel. apartment houses looked staid, clean, calm, very
down to earth and European in atmosphere. In
In 1949, after finishing school, I joined a group contrast, the Arab and older buildings were
going on the Beit Berl course in Israel. This alluring, picturesque and exotic.
course trained Habonim youth leaders for Zionist
Youth Movement work in the UK, preparing Tel Aviv, so close to the sea, was a little tatty but
Jewish youth for ‘Hachshara’ and eventually very friendly. We were amazed at the generosity
aliyah to Israel. of people. No apartment was too small to put
someone up. I have a particular memory of being
We sailed steerage from the port of Marseilles in a offered a room on the flat rooftop of a two-story
rather ancient boat – the ‘Negba’. In the cramped apartment near the sea. I went to sleep to the
quarters below, we came into contact, for the first sound of the sea and was awakened to the smell of
time with North African Jewry escaping from eggs frying on a ‘ptiliya’ (kerosene burner) in the
their Arab homelands. They had been living in a early morning air that was hovering around with
tented encampment for several months in no other noise or movement anywhere. It was
Marseilles and other gathering points. It was a magical.
scene of pandemonium: the very young and the
very old were crushed together in a relatively Jerusalem of course, was another experience. The
small area overhung with hammocks, draped with atmosphere had a mesmerizing effect on
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