Page 3 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - September 14
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ADRIAN ANDRUSIER
Born - London 1944; North West London Ken; Habonim Madrich for
Bonim (Amelim), Chotrim and Tsofim; Almost made Aliyah 1963;
Insurance Broker and Independent Financial Advisor; presently living in
Hampstead, London
I Shul where we went on recruitment drives and
t was 1957. I was 13, already Barmitzvah -
brought in lots more keen chaverim.
and fairly frum. I went to Shul every Shabbat
and missed school on all the Jewish holidays
and, like a good Jewish boy, continued going to When the Moadon opened at Zion House,
Hebrew Classes. My cheder was at Hornsey and Cazenove Road, Stamford Hill, we had more
Wood Green Synagogue, North London, affiliated opportunities for chugim on different nights -
to the United Synagogue. (The shul building is including Ivrit, and we had a great North London
now part of a Mosque complex). Habonim Choir. We were in the heart of Haredi
territory and one Sunday afternoon, our open-air
One Sunday morning, our 'head master' Israeli dance session was interrupted by the fire
introduced us to a tall, not-very-Jewish-looking brigade whom we suspected had been called by
chap called Caroll who wore a blue shirt and a the Hassidim to stop mixed dances since there was
yellow neckerchief fixed with a toggle. With him no fire.
was Chana Lilian, a bespectacled girl in a similar
outfit. On their shirts was an emblem of a letter One Purim we learned a wonderful Operetta - The
bet, a map of Israel and a little metal badge. They Trial of Haman' written by Johnny Frank - and we
were setting up a group on Sunday afternoons publicly performed it at Egerton Road Shul and in
called 'Habonim' and invited us to go along. South London. I played Haman, Cyril Ruben the
Judge, Dot Jacobs was Queen Esther, Chanuka
It seemed a good idea at the time since we would Levy ז"ל was King Ahasuerus, Alan Moss was the
be boys and girls together, we would learn about Clerk of the Court, Linda Shumar was Vashti, Big
Israel and Jewish History (instead of Tanach), we Shnitz the Usher, Norma Jacobs the Jury and Stan
would do Israeli songs and dances and play Hyman was Mordechai. It was huge fun driving
games. Caroll told us there were groups all over round London in costume (me with a Hitler
the country and that we would be having joint moustache!) and a memorable success.
parties and camps. It sounded great and I and my
friends agreed to go along. We had rambles on the South Downs and Epping
Forest, kumzitsim, weekend seminars - a feast of a
The meetings were fun. We learned dances like social life. Our horizons soon broadened to joint
Ushavtem mayim and Havu lanu yayin, every activities with NW London, making more lifelong
week and we sang songs like Habonim Kadima friends. There were summer camps, veidot,
Habonim, Ani Ve At, At Ve'ani Chaverim shel weekend camps, a superb Scottish rambling camp.
Habonim. We danced to our own singing (no Wonderful memories of these!
records then). We played games (including
machanayim), as well as having debates and So many new friends from everywhere - Glasgow,
discussions. Chana Lilien left and Marty Frank, Manchester, Cardiff, Bradford, Liverpool, Leeds,
with whom we all fell in love, took over, an even Edinburgh, Birmingham, etc. The Movement
greater incentive to keep going. attracted great Jewish youngsters from
everywhere. I had an incredible circle of pals who
I remember the first 'joint North London ' activity were like family.
at High Cross Synagogue in Tottenham - a Purim
Our chavura meetings on Saturday nights - in the
nefesh - I went as Groucho Marx! I loved it and
continued into the Tsofim at the Finsbury Park new Moadon on Upper Clapton Road - were a
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