Page 6 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - November 12
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to Habonim and to Hechalutz B'Anglia. During During the years, and despite his frequent
the time of their stay in Britain, Frank absences abroad, Frank was an active member of
strengthened the ties between the Jewish Zionist many of the various committees of Amiad and
Community and the kibbutz, a connection lasting one of the pillars of the kibbutz.
for many years. In 1977, Frank travelled a number of times to
On their return from London, Frank returned to England to visit his brother who was stricken in
the bananas, worked as Kibbutz Treasurer for his early fifties by the same illness that struck
two years, after which he was asked to manage Frank himself 10 years later.
the factory. The Amiad factory was developing Frank felt and sensed his brother’s frustration in
specialized domestic and agricultural water losing his ability to speak; this perhaps gave him
filtration systems, as well as labour-saving the strength to try to combat his own stroke and
devices for agriculture. Frank immediately to realize that he would need a great deal of help
realized its potential for the world market and in order to survive.
took upon himself to be responsible for sales. He Frank learned to live with his limitations and to
devoted all his energy to the development of enjoy things that he always loved but never had
sales throughout the world.
the time to devote to them, such as watching
Frank believed that a Company presence at the good films and doing jigsaw puzzles. A social
major trade shows was of vital importance and worker from the Kibbutz Movement came to
he devoted much effort to visiting the major visit and advised that he should be given work to
clients and developing good relations with them. satisfy his creative instincts. With devoted help
According to one of his close overseas from various individual chaverim, Frank learned
representatives, Frank was very modest and to work with clay and to copy objects with
quite shy. Nevertheless, he delighted Company charcoal. Frank's first exhibition showed his
clients with his knowledge and worldliness. collage works and some pictures drawn with
"Every time we took a potential client to dinner crayons and aroused wonder. He later progressed
or lunch, the client would tell me that he has to working in oils; copying pictures of the
learned something new from Frank," said this Masters and adding his own joyful colours (see
colleague. back cover).
A US Representative of a number of Israeli Tragedy struck the Beth family in 1980 when
firms says the following about Frank … Ilan, their second son, was killed in a traffic
"One day my boss called me gave me a filter and accident in USA. Ilan is buried at Amiad and
told me to try and find customers for it. Soon I Frank used to visit his son's grave every
had quite a few questions and I telexed them to Shabbat.
Frank. I thought that in a week or two maybe he The following was written by Shalom (Lionel)
will answer. The next morning when I came in, Holland for the stone-setting at Frank's grave in
there was a reply. I was in a shock! I ran to my April 2004:
boss and asked him if there is something wrong In every organized group of people, in every society,
as NO ONE ever replied right away to our we can discern three types of people:
questions. Alex assured me that Frank is
completely different and I can expect to work The first type is 'the parasites'. (Fortunately not
with him on a totally professional level. I kept many fall into this category). People who take
sending Frank questions, and he kept answering from society everything they need to exist, giving
right away. When I asked him for samples, I nothing in return.
received them in a few days.”
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