Page 15 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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Of course there were always visitors who came down nature more appropriate that the Haggadah we
for the weekend or a few weeks, and I think I must traditionally use.
I never doubted that I was doing the right thing, and
was quite sure of my Zionist and to a less extent my
socialist convictions. Some doubts did creep in as I
got to know the English countryside, and saw a
different aspect of people. Looking back, I realize
that I certainly had a “chip” on my shoulder and was
very suspicious of non-Jews. Although I did not have
very much in common with the local farmers or farm
workers, I found them decent and pleasant, and most
certainly not Anti-Semitic, just curious. I also grew
to love the English countryside. I would get on my
bike, and ride off to Sonning and Henley on Thames
at the weekend. I do not remember who my
companions were, but we loved the small towns, the
beauty of the summer, and in general developed a
romantic attitude to Southern England.
Of course, I read a lot, (New Statesman, Tribune etc.)
have been constantly in love (or thus it appeared to a We had non-stop political and ideological
17 year old) with at least one of them. discussions, and we had many lectures from
L.W had joined the group a little later. I always Shlichim (emissaries from Israel), and from
considered him a good friend, although we lost personalities like Shimon Appelbaum, a well-known
contact afterwards in Israel, since he did not go with archeologist. We also studied Hebrew quite
the group to Gal-Ed. Mrs. W., his mother, would intensively, and many a weekend was spent at other
always come down to the Hachshara with clean Hachsharot, getting to know chaverim, forming
sheets, blankets or something else. She did not bonds, and in general being educated (or was it brain
approve of our level of sanitation and insisted on
making us more comfortable. L. was very
embarrassed by this, and he led the revolt against
accepting anything from his mother (other than
cigarettes). At that time, he was a bit of a slob, as
was I. Mrs. W. was a kindhearted woman, typical of
the WIZO type.
Apart from work, I served on the Va'ad Tarbut
(cultural committee), which dealt with programmes
for holidays and our general Zionist-Socialist
education. Our general meetings once a week, dealt
with important issues such as how to fit into the
“general proletariat”, i.e. should we steal booze from washed?).
a liquor factory where F. worked like all the other Many of the chaverim formed couples, and it was
workers, in order to conform to the proletariat or be quite a job if one was on shmira (guard duty) waking
“Honest”. Our identification with the working classes people up at 5 or 6 a.m. for work, since very often
was more important. The Va'ad Tarbut also they were not in their own rooms but somewhere
organized the Friday night Oneg Shabbat, and the else. After a time one got used to finding various
holidays, particularly Passover. We did not use the people in each other's rooms. Others kept on joining
traditional Haggadah (prayer book), but developed the group, different in some respects from the “old
our own, focusing on spring, agriculture, and timers”, a different generation, who grew up during
longings for the land of Israel. I wonder whether any the war, but had not fought in the war. I think a
have survived. I found this emphasis on spring and schism developed between those who would go to
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