Betar Basics

From "This Is Betar", South Africa, 1945:

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46 Years- How Could It Be?

It's hard to believe that forty-six 46 years have passed since Eli and Chuck were killed. 

It's hard to believe that we're so old. Who are the old folks in the photos?

We're all like family.

Eli's daughters and older grandsons have served in the army, even in his type of unit.

Quite a number of friends still living in the states came this year to be with us all. There were lots of stories, even more than usual. We didn't need the IDF soldiers assigned to us for the minyan, but it's even more important for them to hear the stories and see the signs of lasting friendship. I could see from the expressions of their faces that they understood the English we spoke. That was good. I hope they tell others about the contributions of veteran immigrants like ourselves and friendships that last.

יהי זכרם ברוך

Yihi Zichram Baruch

May Their Memories Be Blessed

Gala World Betar Reunion, Updated

When notices of a "World Betar Reunion" in Jerusalem were seen a lot of us signed up. Such events are especially popular  for us now that we have more time to enjoy ourselves, post set work life aka retired. It was in the Jerusalem Theater, and at least speaking for myself I had no idea what type of event it would be. A few months ago, we had gone to something in Netanya, and I expected a similar get-together around tables.

Well, I was wrong. This "World Betar Reunion" was humongous! Even though there had been registration, nobody bothered having us sign in when we got there, or we'd still be on line two days later.

This wasn't a chatty get-together at all. The entire large, at least by Israeli standards, Jerusalem Theater auditorium was full, including the aisles. There were Betarim of all ages and countries. The ceremony performance was well-planned and executed, not taking all that long. We sang the old songs, saw photos of Betar history and activities from all over the world and listened to just a couple of speeches.

The grand finale was young active Betarim marching onto the large stage. They were from lots of countries. The only disappointment was that there didn't seem to be any young Americans, even though in the powerpoint of active sniffim, we did notice one labeled "Brooklyn."

There were quite a few bogrim from the 1960, and possibly earlier, from North America in the audience, although the organizers didn't interview any for the movie, which was part of the event. Also, we caught sight of only one photo of our activities. 

Here's a list of "our crowd" who attended. If I left anyone out, please add in the comments, and I'll correct the list. Steve Adler, Izzy and Sandy Herman, Yonah Ferman, Reuven Genn, Rena Epstein-Genn, Nissan Teman, David Sprung, Reuven and Yehudit Miller, Robert Glick, Batya and Yisrael Medad. Ahron Bashani Braunstein and Zeev Ben-Yoseph. Baruch Krauss, Chaim Fischgrund and Emily Udler.

The ceremony didn't last all that long. Obviously, the auditorium was to be used for something else a bit later in the evening.

Here are some photos I took at the Gala World Betar Reunion:

JPost report.

L-R: Nissan Teman, Yona Ferman, Reuven Miller, Yehudit Miller, Yisrael Medad, Batya Medad, Aharon Bashani, Reuven Genn, Rena Genn, Idit Shiponi, Itta Horol, Chaim Fischgrund, David Sprung, Idit's husband, Baruch Kraus, Robert Glick.

L-R: Nissan Teman, Reuven Miller, Yona Ferman, Yehudit Miller, Yisrael Medad, Batya Medad, Reuven Genn, Rena Genn, Itta Horol, Emily Udler, David Sprung, Baruch Kraus
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Moshe (Misha) Arens 1925-2019

Former Netziv of Betar America, Misha Arens, was buried today in Savyon Cemetery:

He was eulogized by President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Among the American Betarim present were Izzy Herman, Steve Adler, Dov Hertz, Reuven and Rena Genn, Baruch Kraus, Chaim Fischgrund, Nissan Teman, Danny Krakow, Wilma Friedman and Yisrael Medad.

I few excerpts from Misha's autobiography published last year:

His "Flags Over the Ghetto" was a major contribution to, literally, righting the history of Betar.

Credit

We usually met at the annual memorial ceremony for Jabotinsky, which this year Misha missed, if not listening to his lectures:

From former Netziv Yitzchak Heimovitz:

Misha Arens was a man "sans peur et sans reproach"  Without fear and without reproach.  If you wanted to know what a perfect Betari was, you only had to look at Misha.
 He was Netziv in the U.S. and gave that up in order to rush to Israel to fight in the War of Independence. In the early 1950's he and Muriel returned to the US with their firstborn son, for Misha to complete his graduate studies in aeronautical engineering, 
 Then they went back to Israel where Misha became a professor at the Technion, and I think he founded the aeronautical engineering department there.  After some years Misha became head of the Engineering Department of Israel Aircraft Industries. (IAI) for many years. 
 In August 1970 Misha told me he was ready to return to activity in the movement.  I wrote Menachem Begin, who said Misha should talk with Haim Landau.  The rest, as they say, is history.

___________________

Sheldon Lerman sends this:

Toldot Yisrael had the opportunity to interview Moshe Arens several years ago about his early remembrances of Jabotinsky and his leadership within Betar in the United States. The full one hour interview in English is viewable here: https://youtu.be/BB5QsHRbv_M​

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Betar Songs

Over 70 songs of Betar and the Irgun and Lechi collected on four CDs in a book:

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Betar Flying High

The Betar initiated School for Aviation in newspaper reports:

Sit in at the Syrian Mission to the UN

"19 Teen Age Zionists Raid Arab Frontier on 3rd Avenue"

That's the headline on the lead article with regard to our sit-in in the Syrian Mission to the UN on October 14, 1966, which was a Friday. I don't remember who organized the peulah, but it was my first sit-in - we were told that no one under 18 would be allowed to participate. We all met in the lobby of 757 Third Avenue and took the elevator up to the 25th floor. The sit-in was a prayer vigil in memory of those Israelis killed by the shelling and sabotage from the Golan Heights supported by Syria.

We walked into the outer office of the Mission , past the startled secretary and into the office of ambassador George Tomeh - who was at the UN debating the situation - where we locked the door, sat down, prayed and sang until the police came. After making our point, we left peacefully ( to quote Deputy Chief Inspector Stephen Killorin - "they created no damage, no vandalism, no nothing") - and were taken to the 17th precinct for booking on charges of trespassing. US ambassador Arthur Goldberg signed the complaint against us.

While in the precinct we were given our own arrest forms to fill out - when the captain came in and saw this he went balistic. After processing at the precinct we were taken to the Tombs where we waited arraignment on the charges - and the time is ticking down to shabbat. We were all concerned that we would get out and get home in time (which we did - but just barely).

So, we were given a date to come back to court, which I think was the first day of the College Spring semester - and it came with a horrific snow storm. We had to come back a number of times until we all pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and given suspended sentences - but first we were finger printed and mug shots were taken. I seem to remember that the court disposition actually said " sentencing suspended."

Now there was a back story to our court appearance. I seem to remember that we were not going to get printed or have our pictures taken, but the first day we were in court the kids who sat-in against the Vietnam War at Whitehall Street were also in court - their lawyer heard about our "deal" and made a stink about it (of course I could be wrong about this detail, and that is was all a coincidence - Yitzhak - what is the truth here?).

So who were we? - Reuven Genn, Reuven Miller, Nissan Teman, Menachem Goldberg, Chuck Waxman, Eli Solomon Z"L, Rena Epstein, Risa Rich, Mella Pollachek, Sara Rosenberg - who else?, and of course Nachman Eckstein who never made it up in the elevator!

Tel Hai,
Shach

Risa here - I am quoting an email sent by our lawyer, Yitzhak Heimowitz, to the American Betar History list in October 2006 (our 40th anniversay): As you can see, some of the guilty have strange names. Don't let that fool you!

"The two minor high school students were Bernice Bach and Sarah Rosenberg. We succeeded in having all charges against them dropped.

According to the official court records the other 17 were:

Emily Isaacs, Rosanne Rich, Charles L. Waxman, Jacob Gross, Michael
Goldberg, Hyman Fischgrund, Bernard Kraus, Chaim Frydman, Aaron Kinsberg, Rena Epstein, Efraim Dimant, Eli Solomon, Robert Genn, Richard Miller, Norman Teman, David S. Disenhouse and Gerald Kandel

"The charge was reduced to disorderly conduct and all pled guilty and received suspended sentences.There were some interesting developments along the way. The State Department used its influence for more severe sentences and the case was regarded as a hot potato by
the Criminal Court judges, who passed it around from one to the other.
Finally Milton Shalleck the Presiding Justice imposed the suspended
sentences."

How I Joined Betar

I had been going to Camp Betar since 1960 - have no idea how my mom heard about it. I remember that Bubie Ariav came to my house in Brooklyn to talk to my mom and me about the camp. From 1960 -1962 there was no obvious movement presence. But in 1963 all these "strange" people in uniform started coming up on weekends - David Sprung, Efraim Dimant, Reuven Genn, Baruch Kraus, Chaim Freedman, Levi and Freida Silverman, Aaron Kinsberg and many many more. The ruach on Shabbat suddenly changed with all these songs they were singing. It was very uplifting. A Beit Sefer was held that year and some of the kids from my bunk attended (I did not) - Chaim Hornstein, Joey Grunberg to name a few. When I got back to the city I joined the Brooklyn Moadon under the leadership of Aaron Kinsberg and we met in his dad's basement in Bensonhurst - can't remember how many time we painted that basement! Some of the members were - Alan Berg, Mella Pollachek, Joshua Scharf, Mickey Katz, Shoshana Fenig, Yossi Klein. I remember meeting Reuven Genn, Benny Rosen and Big Ben Rappaport at a shabbaton held at the Young Israel on Bensonhurst - they were real nice to us. One note about our first fight....we were walking from the Moadon to the train at 86th Street and Bay Parkway when a bus passes and someone yells out "dirty Jew" - well Mickey Katz yelled back. By the time we got to the train station, there were about 10 of them waiting for us, and we had a real brawl right in front of the Chock-Full-O-Nuts on the corner. In the end the cops broke it up. Well the rest is history - as they say once a Betari always a Betari.

Bivrachat Shalom v Tel Hai

Shachna

How I almost didn’t join Betar

by Risa (Rich) Tzohar

It was sometime in 1965. I guess you could say that I was a Zionist before I ever heard the word. I would have been happy to join a group that advocated settling in Israel but in I never came across any. It wasn't until high school that I actually met some kids who went to meetings of Habonim. Those meetings were on Friday nights so I never went. One day these friends gave me a mimeographed (remember those?) sheet inviting me to a meeting in a shul in Kew Garden Hills for a discussion among 4 Zionist youth groups – Habonim, Hashomer Hatzair, Bnei Akiva and Betar.

Benny and Miriam Rosen were there along with some others if I'm not mistaken David Sprung spoke. They met on Sundays (remember those?) and seemed committed to aliya. I gave them my name and address and they promised to send me more information.

They actually did put me on the mailing list and around two months later I got a flyer about a demonstration outside the German consulate protesting the German scientists working in Egypt. When my friend and I arrived the demonstration had already begun and we were given yellow stars to pin on our jackets. Betar did not stand out and I couldn't identify anyone. I went home, pleased that I had participated but disappointed not to have made contact with the Betarim.

Summer came and went. Eventually I did get a letter with details of some meetings to be held in Brooklyn. Of course the address that was on the page had a digit missing and when I got there it was not the right place. I was about to go home (a very long subway ride) when I saw someone with a blue shirt and got up the nerve to ask if he knew where Betar was. I wish I remembered who that was, but I don't. I ended up in Aaron Kinsberg's basement finally able to meet the Betarim and later joined the Maoz in Manhattan on 96^th Street.

How I Heard of Betar

I was introduced to Betar by Dennis Lipkin. It's mentioned here. He brought a bunch of us "Great Neckers" to the Manhattan Moadon and then brought Betar to Great Neck.

I hadn't heard of Betar before, even though I was already involved with SSSJ and NCSY.

The 1960's was a magic time, full of idealism, The Man of La Mancha and the Six Days War. I'm not going to say, "to be young, again," since I don't "feel" old. My idealism hasn't tarnished a bit.