Page 42 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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Kibbutz, was innovative in introducing an turned the Bayit into an auction house, an
intensive study period at the Machon American barn and even a castle for a medieval
LeMadrichei Chutz L’Aretz, for me, the best of banquet with fire-eaters and unicyclists. After a
both worlds. succession of chairmen - Archie Cina, Arthur
Livingstone and Evelyn Tiefenbrun - I took on
I returned to Glasgow in August 1971 after
Shnat, to study Law, but much of the buzz of the the role as Chairman in 1991. By this time the
late 60s was fast disappearing. Aliyah, Jewish community had drifted further to the
emigration to Australia and a general drift south south of Glasgow and the Bayit in Sinclair
were decimating the community. The explosion Drive, which for many years had proved a big
in tertiary education saw many of my financial black hole, was not only too big for
contemporaries heading south to the new Habonim’s requirements but also in the wrong
universities and this took its toll on Glasgow location.
Habonim. For the first time, there was a shortage We put the building at Sinclair Drive, which had
of senior Madrichim in Glasgow and it became served as Habonim’s home for some fifty years,
necessary to import Movement Workers and on the market and putting my legal training to
Shlichim. I did my stint in the Bayit as Rosh good use we sold the property to a nursery. It
Ken, along with fellow ‘Shnattie’, Russell was with a sense of nostalgia we held a final
Hessayon from Manchester, while trying to mifkad before the handover, which event
juggle my legal studies. While I had joined attracted several hundred existing and ex
Garin Chet in 1972, increasingly I could not see members. We went on and bought an old disused
the relevance of a degree in Scottish law on church hall, which was converted into a series of
Kibbutz Mevo Hama and in the winter of 1974 I meeting rooms with a Bayit above. The project
resigned from the Garin and left the Movement. was not without pain, but it was formally opened
th
However, that was not to be the end of my by Lady Ruth Morris at a Shalom Bayit on 25
sojourns with Habonim, only the end of the October 1992… an event that went on to
beginning. reinvigorate the Ken.
I settled down to my chosen career of Law, got By this time, I had been representing Glasgow at
married and had a family. However, the values the National Va’ad Lema’an in London under
instilled by Habonim stayed with me and led me the chair of Lady Ruth Morris for a number of
on to work within the Glasgow Jewish years. In 1995, the National Va’ad morphed into
Community. Not unsurprisingly, my path within what we affectionately called the National
communal life started with Habonim. In the mid Executive. No longer just about keeping a roof
- 1980s I was approached by the late Archie over the heads of the various kinim we provided
Cina, then Chair of the local Va’ad Lema’an much needed legal, financial and insurance
(parents committee), eager to invigorate his advice to the individual Va’adei Lema’an and
ageing committee and bring on board younger the Movement Workers. These were changed
members. Still imbued with a love of Habonim, days. The Movement was operating in a more
and what it had given me, I was ready to start complex society and we were kept very busy.
giving back. We had a small enthusiastic In 2002, I resigned as Chairman of the Glasgow
committee whose aim was to fundraise to Va’ad to concentrate my efforts on the National
literally keep a roof over the heads of the Executive. Taking over as Chairman of the
chanichim. We were all Bogrei Habonim and National Executive I negotiated and oversaw the
held many financially and socially successful, if sale of the flagship premises at 523 Finchley
not unusual, fundraising events. With the usual
Habonim flair and imagination, we variously
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