Page 17 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20
P. 17
THE EARLY DAYS OF married a Palestinian student named Gamliel
Duoer, and went with him to live in Haifa.”
KIBBUTZ KFAR-BLUM
“She’s my cousin,” I replied. “I’m due for
SHMUEL AMID two weeks leave soon and will spend one
week with them. Then, I intend to visit the
country, including a kibbutz.”
“As it happens,” Shimon said, “I’m a member
of a new kibbutz just being built in Upper
Galilee called ‘Kibbutz Anglo-Balti’, so-
named because of the ethnic make-up of most
of the chaverim. Maybe you’d like to visit
I When I eagerly agreed, he said, “when you
them?”
n 1944 during WW11, I was serving in
the RAF and was stationed in Egypt, near
Cairo, where we used to visit on our off-
you. He’ll make you welcome. Do you
duty days. In the same camp, there were get there, ask for Aryeh Ziv and tell him I sent
several Eretz-Yisraelim, who were known smoke?”
there as ‘Palestinians’ and with whom I “No,” was my response.
became very friendly. I often visited Cairo
with some of them. Our favourite place to eat “Good,” was his reply. “So, if you don’t
lunch was a small restaurant called ‘The mind, could you save your cigarette rations
Palestinian Club’, which was run by some for the chaverim, as they can only afford the
Jewish families, exiled by the British cheap local brand, and if you can scrounge
mandate, who had settled there. any old clothes from your clothing store, it
would be very helpful.”
One day, when I was ordering some lunch in
English (not yet knowing any Hebrew), a “Will do,” I answered.
soldier with the ‘PALESTINE’ shoulder- “Now I’ll tell you the best way to get to the
flash on his tunic approached me from a kibbutz,” said Shimon. “The evening before
nearby table and said in perfect Oxford your visit take a bus to Meshek-Hapo’alot in
English: Binyamina. Because the houses are still being
built, all the married women and children are
“I hear you are from England.”
living there. A kibbutz truck leaves from
“Yes,” I replied, “I’m from Leeds.” Binyamina for the kibbutz every morning.
He then said, “I’m from Liverpool and my I’m sure the driver will be only too glad of
name is Shimon Applebaum.” the company.”
“Pleased to meet you,” I replied, “and my “Thanks for the tip,” I said.
name is Shmuel Richman.” From then on, instead of exchanging my
“Oh,” he said, “I was on Hachsharah at the cigarettes for chocolate with one of the
David Eder farm with a Rivka Richman, who airmen, I started to save them. A few days
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