Page 45 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19
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madrichim had to find a place for us to sleep and had no right to a Hebrew name. Make of that
they found a Bedouin encampment, marched us what you will!
into the ceremonial tent in rows and said, “Now I think that Hans and I had an exceptionally easy
sleep!” Next morning we had used all our food Aliya. The fact that we had been to Israel on a
but for half a sardine and a square of chocolate course made everything easy for us.
each. Then, much to the utter unbelief of the Furthermore, we received a very welcome
Sabras, we danced a Hora. All of Israel was reception from the members of Moshav
overcome with worry and sent a spotter plane to Habonim. Often people said to us that it must
find us. This was 70 years ago and is still fresh have been a sacrifice, and it must have been so
in my memory.
hard acclimatizing ourselves, or how did we
When we returned to London, I worked for a manage due to the fact that the country was still
while in the Habonim Office in Great Russell in the midst of Tzenna. We did not have
Street and Hans went to the David Eder electricity or bathrooms in the houses just
Farm. Hans wanted to join a kibbutz but I, outside latrines, food was rationed and there was
having seen and lived in several during the Bet not much variety. But, none of this mattered and
Berl course was not enthusiastic. However, I did though a lot of people do not believe me, we had
join Hans at the David Eder Farm where happily, fun!
we made lifelong friends, who have all forgiven Our first jobs were in the fields but eventually
us for not choosing to go to a Kibbutz.
Hans started landscaping and then was asked to
We were determined to get back to Israel. We start an avocado orchard with training from
married and started to look for a way to return Professor Oppenheimer of the Volcani Institute.
to Israel. We met with the Israeli Shaliach, Later on, he became one of the first growers of
Menasha Peters, and he told us about a Meshek lychees in the country. I graduated from working
Shitufi that would be suitable for us and that a in field crops to caring for toddlers then to office
few couples were already interested. We met up work, then to working in the Local Area High
with the group and we contacted the settlement, School in Hebrew as a Cataloguist (and where I
which was called Moshav Habonim (but of continued working until I was eighty) and the
course!). The settlement was started by people meshek was paid for my work! In Moshav
from South African Habonim. Only one member Habonim, I had taken over, as a volunteer, one
of our group had been in Habonim, Helen tiny roomful of English novels to build a
Levenston. Another member of the group was an Hebrew and English non-fiction and fiction
accomplished painter and potter and he library, and a children’s library, which, of
suggested that we all go to evening classes to course, was only in Hebrew. I felt very strongly
learn pottery so that we could bring something that the Hebrew speaking and English speaking
tangible and profitable to the settlement. This we members should not be separated and should
did and also Hans took out his driving license share the same library, and there should also be a
and I taught myself Hebrew typing. We were section for the children. (Most Kibbutzim in
accepted as candidates sight unseen. In 1953, six those days had three separate libraries.) I did not
couples ‘Went up to the Land’ by ship. On want to have two different communities in the
reaching Haifa, we were given a Teudot Oleh settlement – the Anglos and the Israelis. I
and Hans changed his name from Hans to believe that I succeeded in that, as often there
Hanan. Everybody who had only met him would be a discussion in the library between a
in Israel called him Hanan, but all who knew chaver who had read the book in Hebrew and a
him in Britain still called him Hans. I remained chaver who had read it in English.
Beryl as I felt that until I could speak Hebrew I
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