Page 94 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20
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Workwise, there was plenty to sample and We could hardly have imagined back then
experience, including the banana plantations, how our lives would pan out, and we are
the metal workshop, filtration and irrigation dispersed across many miles and continents.
plastics factory, the kitchens, cotton fields, Technology, however, has brought us a
children’s houses and gardens. whole lot closer.
Oh, those 4.30 am starts for the banana After Shnat I studied history and politics at
workers, the omelettes, commando boots, the Queen Mary College, University of London.
tractors, the sunshine – they were great days.
I was Rosh Ken of Ilford Ken and Rosh of
Events took a turn in June 1982, with the several machanot.
outbreak of the Lebanon War not too far from Following my degree, I did a post-graduate
our base on Amiad.
diploma in journalism studies at the
Back then, of course, there were no mobile University of Cardiff, then embarked on a
phones or tablets or laptops. To get news newspaper career, working as a reporter at
from home, we would await the arrival of a daily papers in Halifax and Newcastle-upon-
letter or make a reverse-charge call from the Tyne before joining the Manchester Evening
kibbutz phone box. News in 1990. I was Business Editor, when I
left in 2013 and set up my own PR agency,
Many years have passed since our Shnat
Hachshara, but two recent events underlined Kevin Feddy Media.
the impact it still has on our lives. I married Stacey in August 1991 and we have
th
five children. We recently (July 6 )
Those of us still living in the north of
England, the Midlands and as far south as St celebrated the birth of our first grandchild, a
Albans, recently had a reunion in Sheffield at grandson named Rafi. We live in Manchester
the home of Alastair Goldman. It was where I am currently president of Holy Law
wonderful to meet up again after so long and South Broughton Synagogue – an orthodox
enjoy one another’s company. We hope to do shul. Who would have thought!!
it again in the not-too-distant future. Roll call: Adrienne Fields, Alastair Goldman,
Andrea Mendelsohn, Andrew Brenner,
During lockdown, Simon Ottman arranged a
Zoom catch-up for members of our Bethia Cooper, Esther Coren, Evelien
movement shichvah, who are nowadays Kousenmaker, Gideon Seligman, Howard
living across the globe – in the UK, Israel, the Bernstein, Jair de Marcas, Joanna Caplan,
US and Australia. Many were Shnatties, and Kevin Feddy, Laura Antebi, Louise Levy,
it was lovely to see everyone again and chat Lynn Rosenfield, Neil Taylor, Nigel
after so many years. Landsman, Paul Morris, Richard
Mendelsohn, Robert (Reuven) Mathieson,
In our group of Shnatties we have Olim, Ruth Nieman, Sarah Bernstein, Simon
people living in the UK and Australia – Ottman, Simone Barnett, Steve Lewis, Susie
people working in healthcare, media, Shaw and Yvette Genn
academia, music, law, education, charity
sector and tourism, to name but a few.
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