With profound thanks to David Krakow and his archives/scrapbooks.
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Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activism. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2014
More Betar Activism - Late 1940s
With profound thanks to David Krakow and his archives/scrapbooks.
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Friday, November 20, 2009
Another Soviet Jewry Demonstration or "What Were We Thinking"
In the early 70's a group of Betarim (Johnny Brown, Jeff Maas, Stan Levine, Marty Kaplan, David Tewrsky and I) attended a WUJS conference in Asbury Park New Jersey, staying at the Berkley Carteret Hotel from Friday - Sunday. The conference is attended by many different groups - Zionist and others. The purpose of the conference was to come up with a plan of activism for Jewish students and I seem to remember a publication coming out at the end, though I do not have a copy. Of course, we came to Shabbat diner in out tilboshot - kind of freaked some people out!
So, on Sunday as we were packing to leave, someone suggested that we stop at the Soviet Mission to demonstrate our activism. Well, some of us did (don't remember what we did with our luggage) with some hastily created signs.
When we got to 67th street, there was a school bus outside the mission. One of us says "lets takeover the bus", so we get on. Once on board we notice that it was full of kids ( happened to be kids of the mission staff who were coming back from school). So we get off the bus and notice that the doors to the mission are open to let the kids in and we walk right in with them and sit down near the outside wall.
I don't remember how long we sat there with our signs before some ugly looking security staff approached us. After a while we left ( did we finally realize where we were, or did someone see a shoulder holster?) As I said, "what were we thinking?"
Tel Hai
Shachna
So, on Sunday as we were packing to leave, someone suggested that we stop at the Soviet Mission to demonstrate our activism. Well, some of us did (don't remember what we did with our luggage) with some hastily created signs.
When we got to 67th street, there was a school bus outside the mission. One of us says "lets takeover the bus", so we get on. Once on board we notice that it was full of kids ( happened to be kids of the mission staff who were coming back from school). So we get off the bus and notice that the doors to the mission are open to let the kids in and we walk right in with them and sit down near the outside wall.
I don't remember how long we sat there with our signs before some ugly looking security staff approached us. After a while we left ( did we finally realize where we were, or did someone see a shoulder holster?) As I said, "what were we thinking?"
Tel Hai
Shachna
Sunday, February 24, 2008
1951 Anti-German Reparations Demonstrations
from Yitzhak Heimowitz
At the urging of Norman Cohen and Steve Adler I did look at my scrapbook and discovered that the Oct.25, 1951 demonstration was only one of several opposing German reparations. On Jan 11, 1952 Betar demonstrated before the Israel Consulate General in Manhattan against the arrest of hundreds of Herut members and Betarim in Israel who were also demonstrating against the deal with Germany.
On Jan 20, 1952 thirty Betarim demonstrated at the Biltmore Hotel against another meeting of the Jewish organizations pressing for reparations. This got a lot of publicity including the NY Herald Tribune and the NY Times. The Betarim sat in the halls outside the meeting room, reading Tehillim and praying (Mincha and perhaps Maariv). The conference organizers offered the Betarim two choices: a) one or two would be admitted and permitted to address the meeting, or b) a representative would come out to address the Betarim. Otherwise, they threatened the NY Police commanded by a captain, who were waiting downstairs, would come up and break up the demonstration.
The Betarim rejected both choices and demanded they all be admitted to the meeting. Supposedly the police were sent for, but at that minute the meeting ended, the door opened and delegates began to leave. The Betarim all immediately rushed into the room, distributed their leaflets and shared it for a while, debating with the remaining delegates.
Of course I have all the material on the Apr. 1956 invasion of the Egyptian Consulate General, but that will have to wait for another time. I could spend all of my time on this and I don't have that much to spend, so drop by drop.
At the urging of Norman Cohen and Steve Adler I did look at my scrapbook and discovered that the Oct.25, 1951 demonstration was only one of several opposing German reparations. On Jan 11, 1952 Betar demonstrated before the Israel Consulate General in Manhattan against the arrest of hundreds of Herut members and Betarim in Israel who were also demonstrating against the deal with Germany.
On Jan 20, 1952 thirty Betarim demonstrated at the Biltmore Hotel against another meeting of the Jewish organizations pressing for reparations. This got a lot of publicity including the NY Herald Tribune and the NY Times. The Betarim sat in the halls outside the meeting room, reading Tehillim and praying (Mincha and perhaps Maariv). The conference organizers offered the Betarim two choices: a) one or two would be admitted and permitted to address the meeting, or b) a representative would come out to address the Betarim. Otherwise, they threatened the NY Police commanded by a captain, who were waiting downstairs, would come up and break up the demonstration.
The Betarim rejected both choices and demanded they all be admitted to the meeting. Supposedly the police were sent for, but at that minute the meeting ended, the door opened and delegates began to leave. The Betarim all immediately rushed into the room, distributed their leaflets and shared it for a while, debating with the remaining delegates.
Of course I have all the material on the Apr. 1956 invasion of the Egyptian Consulate General, but that will have to wait for another time. I could spend all of my time on this and I don't have that much to spend, so drop by drop.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Betar Youth Deliver....
In 1964 (?) we organized a peulah for Soviet Jewry. We assembled at the Isiah Wall and delivered "Freedom Packages" to Missions of the United Nations. To quote the newspaper article...
"100 Passover 'Freedom' packages containing matzah, wine, and hagadas were delivered on April 14th to missions of the United Nations by the members of Betar Brit Trumpeldor Jewish Youth Movement. The contents of the 'Freedom' packages were symbolic of Passover, the holiday of Freedom, Matzah - the unleavened bread of affliction, wine - the sacramental wine used at the seder (Passover meals), and the hagadot - story of the deliverance from slavery. Contained in each package was also a copy of a letter to the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of the United nations - calling upon him to attempt to bring equal rights to the three and a half million Jews in the Soviet Union.
....The letter also emphasized that Jewish Youth were not given the natural right to pursue their own spiritual and intellectual commitment, and have also been deprived of the right to participate, with their counterparts the world over, in matters of common national interest. The Betar urged the Commission to implement Article 13 paragraph 2 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that: 'Everyone has the right to leave any country and to return to his country.'
Copies of the letter were carried by special Betar delegations to the missions of the United Nations....."
If I remember correctly, Reuven Genn was the driving force behind this peulah. The picture in the paper includes the following Betarim: Aaron Kinsberg, Chuck Waxman, Danny Epstein, Tzvi Briks (?), Risa Rich (?), George Feldman and some others I do not remember (I definitely need a scanner!!)
Every mission we went to received us cordially. Does anyone else remember this action?
"100 Passover 'Freedom' packages containing matzah, wine, and hagadas were delivered on April 14th to missions of the United Nations by the members of Betar Brit Trumpeldor Jewish Youth Movement. The contents of the 'Freedom' packages were symbolic of Passover, the holiday of Freedom, Matzah - the unleavened bread of affliction, wine - the sacramental wine used at the seder (Passover meals), and the hagadot - story of the deliverance from slavery. Contained in each package was also a copy of a letter to the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of the United nations - calling upon him to attempt to bring equal rights to the three and a half million Jews in the Soviet Union.
....The letter also emphasized that Jewish Youth were not given the natural right to pursue their own spiritual and intellectual commitment, and have also been deprived of the right to participate, with their counterparts the world over, in matters of common national interest. The Betar urged the Commission to implement Article 13 paragraph 2 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that: 'Everyone has the right to leave any country and to return to his country.'
Copies of the letter were carried by special Betar delegations to the missions of the United Nations....."
If I remember correctly, Reuven Genn was the driving force behind this peulah. The picture in the paper includes the following Betarim: Aaron Kinsberg, Chuck Waxman, Danny Epstein, Tzvi Briks (?), Risa Rich (?), George Feldman and some others I do not remember (I definitely need a scanner!!)
Every mission we went to received us cordially. Does anyone else remember this action?
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