Page 7 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - September 14
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LAWRENCE COPITCH
Born - Manchester 1954; Manchester Ken from 1971; Shnat Hachshara at
Bet Haemek - 1973-74; Movement work in Leeds - 1974 to 1977; Aliyah in
1977 - first Bet Hemek, then Tel Aviv; returned to UK in 1979; now a retired
Solicitor, living in Cheadle, Cheshire
W Then, enrolling in Leeds University and three
hen Moshe Foreman’s family
relocated to Manchester in 1971,
intense years of Movement activities. Now
Moshe met my twin brother, Mike, at
Aliyah?
school. “Come to Habonim” he said to Mike, decision time, leave the Movement or go on
and Mike said to me “Come to Habonim.” So, at
aged 17, I entered the Moadon in Upper Park Aliyah meant Kibbutz, which was still the norm
Road for the first time one Saturday evening and in those days. It had, however, become
therein encountered a friendly group of sixth - unfashionable to form a Garin. Under the
formers and students discussing Marxism. This careful guidance of the wise and softly-spoken
was quite different to the table tennis and discos central Shaliach, Gerry Kelman, a Misgeret was
in the Jewish youth clubs that we had previously formed and the 76th Group was the first Kvutsah
frequented. to Mishmar David. They were followed by
another Kvutsah in 1977 but, the same year, I
I quickly warmed to their enthusiasm and began was part of a much smaller group that went back
to dress-down like them, in jeans and plimsolls. to Bet Haemek, with the encouragement of
I picked up their esoteric vocabulary – Gerry’s successor as central Shaliach, the equally
Machaneh, Chanichim and learned that I was a wise Mike Landes.
Ma’apil and, without further initiation or
ceremony, I was now a member of “The Back to working in avocado, but struggling with
Movement.” the language and trying to qualify for the Israeli
Bar, I left Bet Haemek for Tel Aviv.
It became clear very quickly that there was more Disillusioned, I returned to the UK in 1979 to
to this than guitars and scruffy dress. There was pursue my career as a Solicitor in my native
a “Veida” and a “Garin” and Habonim tongue. After seven years, my Habonim days
Kibbutzim in Israel with exotic sounding names. were over.
After growing up in a traditional Jewish I had hoped that Zionism would resolve my
household and being disillusioned with personal Jewish problem – how to live a Jewish
synagogue and religious Judaism, I was intrigued life as a non-religious Jew - but it had not
by the alternative way of being Jewish that was worked out in Israel and the challenge now was
now being offered and I was fascinated by the how to preserve my Jewish identity in the
Movement’s ideology. I lapped-up all diaspora.
opportunities to learn more about Israel and
Zionism. Mike and I joined the Fourth Shnat Belinda, my wife-to-be, had been in Habonim in
Hachshara to Bet Haemek, in September 1973. South Africa. She had also gone to Israel for the
This was a momentous year for us and for Israel. first time in 1973 on Aliyah with her parents.
Our activities were greatly restricted by the Yom She also left in 1979. She was a Movement
Kippur War, I worked in avocado, I tried to learn worker living in the Bayit on Finchley Road
Hebrew and I read a great deal and got to know when we got together in 1982. The Bayit was
the Chaverim of Bet Haemek. sold the same year and we were the only people
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