Page 36 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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MEMORIES OF A MULTI-TASKER
FEEDBACK ON GARIN CHET REUNION. POSTED ON
TH
FACEBOOK APRIL 28 , 2018
IVRI TASKER
I skills that paved the way for adult careers. We
am sitting on my veranda in Givat Chaim
learnt to multi-task before that phrase was even
Meuhad, post-reunion enjoying my usual
pastime of watching the grass grow. I feel
that I have just returned from summer camp, invented. Particularly here in Israel, we socially
and business-wise networked years in advance
humming all those memorable songs, and of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Back then in
reliving the fantastic experience of our three the UK, we did it all with bravado, energy and
days together. lack of fear, believing that nothing could stop us.
Fifty years, and even more! Wow! Who would As a youth movement of less than one thousand
have thought then that we would all meet up members, we were a minority among other
again like that? young Jews, and all those who didn’t join us
missed out on so much.
What did the movement give us? As adolescents,
we had opportunities to learn, to socialize and to Pam once told me that your oldest friends are
dream. However, it was far more than that as I your best friends. Very true! However, the
reminisced with Stan, Elaine, Gary, Shloimy and camaraderie of that time, taught us how to make
others. We were teenagers who took on new friends. The movement was a life style. It
responsibilities far beyond our years of looking was an extended family. It was a band of
after younger kids - being in charge of their brothers and sisters. The movement was our
health and safety, while taking them on rambles madrichim and shlichim. Above all, it was US. It
in inclement weather, teaching them Israeli created a common bond and set of values so
songs and dances; and consoling the younger when we met together for three days now, I
ones at summer camp, who were away from could share memories and thoughts with even
home for the first time. those chaverim and chaverot, with whom I
hadn’t even had minimal or any contact, 50
With hindsight now as parents and grandparents,
would we let a seventeen year old be in loco years ago.
parentis and take care of our nine-year-old Those halcyon days became ingrained in our
grandchild? The older we get the more cautious memories and added a brick to the foundations
and worried we have learned to be. of what we became. We pass on stories from that
time to our kids. I had heard them from my late
As teenagers, we learnt so many life-benefiting
skills. We received hands-on experience without brother Malcolm who was in the Garin with
text book learning. We were madrichim who Frank and Dot Beth, Geoff Goodman, Len
became teachers, educators and university Goodman and David Shwartz in the early fifties
lecturers. in Amiad. I grew up on those stories the way my
son Yoni has grown up on mine and through
As camp organizers, we became adult event them he joined Machanot Olim and Garin
organizers. As planners, we handled large sums Nachal, and later became a tour guide.
of money that led us on to be adult financial
consultants. We learnt marketing and advertising Thank you, Garin Chet for a wonderful reunion.
Thank you all - the committee, Elaine, Gary,
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