Page 18 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
MANCHESTER 1948-50, CHAPTER 5 OF HER MEMOIRS
JOSÉ PATTERSON
I shared a bedroom with Trudy and Lottie. The other
could barely hide my excitement at the prospect
of becoming a student at the newly established
girls, Una, Beryl, and Yael (Jill), were accommodated
Habonim Institute in Manchester.
two of the boys: Alfie Mann and Frank Beth, no doubt,
The Institute was an extraordinary venture, the in an adjacent bedroom. I only remember the names of
first of its kind complete with a fascinating because they both had a great sense of humour, which
background story, which I pieced together from kept us all sane, when we felt the pressure of keeping
various sources and later from the ‘horse’s mouth’ up with our studies.
himself! At that time Shaul, a senior Israeli youth A welcome support reached me from another source,
leader/adviser, was staying in the Manchester Bayit. namely Zelda, our wonderful Baalat HaBayit –
During one of many heated discussions about the housekeeper. She was kind, competent, highly
future of the Habonim movement, Shaul pinpointed organised and kept us all well fed. More importantly,
the current problems with which it was faced. He she listened sympathetically to our problems and
explained that those members who had completed their became a lifelong friend, which thankfully has lasted
training at the David Eder and Bosham Farms had to this day.
departed for Kibbutz living in Israel and had left The timetable was packed solid and included the
behind a hiatus of experienced personnel. Thus, following subjects: Hebrew grammar, Hebrew
Shaul’s brainstorm idea of the Habonim Institute to conversation and reading, social economics, Jewish
train new leaders – with David Patterson as its history and geography, Jewish National Thought,
Principal – turned out to be the perfect solution. Shabbat and Jewish Festivals, youth leadership,
David was in little doubt of the need for financial Kibbutz problems, and an essential daily period of
support to get ‘the show on the road’ so to speak. He self-study. We used this time to read the long essays
went first to Mr Maurice Bernstein, a shirt written by A.D. Gordon, Ahad Ha-Am and Ber
manufacturer, who was not only a great philanthropist Borohov, the great Zionist ideologues who had helped
and a generous hearted Zionist, but also the long to found the Zionist labour movement. Among the
standing Chairman of the Friends of Habonim. titles were The Core of the Matter, Man and Nature,
Sometime later David told me about his cap-in-hand Nationalists and the Diaspora, The National Question
meeting. As he reached out to open the door to Mr. and The Class Struggle. I had left school at 14 just
Bernstein’s office, he caught sight of the frayed cuffs before the 1944 Education Act was passed that raised
of his shirt – hardly befitting to face a shirt the school-leaving age to 16. I lacked any form of
manufacturer – so in a flash he hid them under the higher education, so, unsurprisingly, I found it all
sleeves of his jacket. David was so committed to ‘the heavy going and often felt completely out of my depth.
cause’ and spoke so eloquently, that Mr. Bernstein, in Thankfully, I wasn’t alone, was able to keep going,
addition to the many countless calls on his time on the thanks to unstinting help from fellow students, and
Board of the Friends of Habonim, was duly elected its tutors who were generous with their time. We were
Treasurer. His unflagging support resulted in an also given an additional reading list of Jewish
agreement with the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem of an Historical Novels – much more my ‘cup of tea.’ I
initial grant of £1,000 – a massive boost for the really enjoyed Shmarya Levin’s trilogy: Childhood in
Institute. This timely good news acted as an incentive Exile, Youth in Revolt and The Arena.
for further successful fund raising projects organised The curriculum was broad-based and included a visit
by Manchester’s generous Zionists – all grist for the to the Manchester City’s Reference Library, where we
mill – as David put it so succinctly! were given valuable instruction in the use of the
I was one of a group of twelve students – six girls and Dewey Decimal Classification system, which was then
six boys – who enrolled for the spring term in 1950. I the most widely used method for classifying books.
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