The Anti-German Soccer Team Action, 1950

 

The movement received threatening letters as well as letters of support.

And a contribution of $2 to cover the cost of the tomatoes.

^

Another Newspaper Clipping from A 1948 Demonstration

 Via Steve Adler:

From the JTA, June 27, 1948

Fifty uniformed youths, members of Brith Trumpeldor, which is sympathetic to the Irgun Zvai Leumi, today “invaded” the offices of the Jewish Agency here, at 16 East 66th Street. They forcibly entered the office of Arthur Lourie, Israeli Consul General, and told him they were going to hold memorial services for Irgunists killed during the Hanganah-Irgun battle on the Tel Aviv waterfront.

When Police arrived, Laurie asked them not to eject the youths. He left the room and the youths conducted a memorial service–which included speeches and songs–for an hour and a half. They withdraw from the building said some name-calling and scuffling. There was scattered jostling and punching between the youths and Agency clerks when the “invasion” first began.

And mentioned here:

Confidential British Foreign Office political correspondence [mikroform] : Palestine, 1947-1948 / project coordinator Paul Kesaris.Public Record Office (Kew, London) FO 371/68668

E 8726/6090/31/48 series of meetings between Israeli representative to U.K. and Foreign Office Minister of State on oil supplies for Haifa refinery, five British citizens arrested for espionage in Israel, conscription of British citizens living in Israel, and Egyptian use of Gaza airfield; and possible British diplomatic representation in Tel Aviv. Also covers Altalena (ship) and Kfar Vitkin incidents involving armed clashes between Irgun Zvai Leumi and Haganah. Includes Brith Trumpeldor (Betar) demonstration on Altalena incident in New York offices of Israeli government, effect of Altalena incident on U.S. Zionists and on international recognition of Israel, speech by David Ben-Gurion on issue, and inability of Haganah to control operations of Stern Group and Irgun in Jerusalem.

^ 

German Consulate Demonstration, 1962

Here is the Herut newspaper report on the October 1962 demonstration outside the West German consulate in New York protesting the country's involvement in the Egyptian missile project

Would appreciate any input of details.

================================

Follow-ups:

From Ben Rappaport -

I do not remember all of the chevra that participated in the short takeover of what I believe was actually the German UN offices staff.

Following is the list of chevra that I do remember. Please add/or correct if I am wrong and please excuse me for the names of people I have forgotten.

I blame my loss of memory on my medications.

I do remember, Yitzhak Heimowitz was on standby to negotiate with the police.

1)    Benny Rosen z”l

2)   Butch Brody

3)   Yonah Furman

4)   Zisel Sansonowicz

5)   Reuven Genn

6)   David Sprung

7)   ?????...........

One comment.

Since I was in a minor confrontation with the police I had one sleeve of my Blazer almost ripped off. Was more worried of the confrontation I was going to have with my parents. As I walked into the apartment passing the kitchen I saw mom washing some dishes. Mom turned around, looked at me and just asked, “Betar”? I nodded my head and all she did was turn back to the sink and continued to wash dishes. I knew I was in deep…trouble.

Ben

From Eugene "Butch" Brody -

I vividly recall that as I started to make a prepared statement an NYC cop told me to "shut up" and then punched me in the stomach. At that point, BEN stepped between the cop 

and me. He then took the physical abuse. I am forever in his debt. I finally made only about 25% of the prepared statement.  I think that YONA made a statement also. It certainly was 

a memorable afternoon............butch

Ben Rappaport has now provided us with a more complete recall:

Will give you my version of my memories and hope the all the names will be listed. The situation was such that each of us felt as Betarim and Jews we needed to respond and do something about German scientists helping the Egyptians build missiles that they could launch against the Jewish state.

I will not go into all the details.

I think the German UN offices were on the tenth floor. We first had to go into a small room and the outer door had to be closed before the inner door opened. In those days there were no security or surveillance cameras, just intercoms. All the chevra went into the room quickly and since I was a big guy and played HS football I was opposite the door so as soon as the door opened I would push the door open so we would not end up being locked in the small room. Our hearts were beating waiting for the door to open and I was ready as a tight spring to barrel forward. The door cracks open. I never had a chance. All the chevra shoved me through as if I was battering ram.

It was a woman that open the door and she ran to the back offices.

We all sat down and of course we not only locked the door but, and I believe it was Zisel Sansanowicz and myself, we put our backs to the door. Since we were in narrow corridor we put our feet against the wall to really make it difficult for someone to enter. Benny Rosen z”l got up and gave a excellent speech of the immorality that the German Government allowed German citizens go and help the Egyptians develop missiles to attack Jews. Benny was great and spoke for a few minutes. Don’t remember who got up next and then talked. In the meantime we heard police sirens on the streets below.

Now this was a thick metal door and had at least three hinges. We heard the police behind the door as they were huffing and puffing trying to get in. They tried using some type jack to open the door.

Two things scared me. I saw the thick metal hinges about the break and overheard someone said they should bring a certain rifle to shoot open the lock. My head was on the other side of that lock. We discussed what we should do and Butch said open the door. We all readied ourselves as I opened the door.

Well, that moment reminded me of a Keystone cops scene. The cops didn’t expect to door to open and three fell in together and for a second the three got stuck between door frames. The police began quickly dragging the chevra out. I was sitting and suddenly saw David Sprung (he was skinny then) being thrown and flying above my head. I realized the cops were each dragging out the smaller fellas first and suddenly I was sitting there by myself. This cop comes in to drag me out and to me he looked like the shortest cop on the NYC police force. He asked me to get up and walked out. It actually sounded like he was begging me. I told him since all my friends were dragged out I too had to be dragged out. He bopped me over the head with his nightstick and another cop came and helped him drag me out.

A couple of reporters had arrived. A news photographer was holding his large press camera told a cop to place one of us opposite the large emblem that depicted the German Eagle. The cop told me to stand there and I told him I wouldn’t pose with that Nazi emblem, He was a big cop and he suddenly grabbed me and threw me against the wall next to that emblem. Well, when I was a kid and played baseball I hardly ever did hit the ball. Much rarer did I make contact and hit a homeroom. It’s that moment when you hit the ball and that instant you knew you just sent the ball into outer space.

Well, without thinking I reacted at the officer that slammed me against the wall and I kicked the police officer. At that moment I knew I had a “Houston, we have lift off,” moment. That was the last thing I remember standing up. I don’t know how many cops were beating me with their nightsticks. Definitely two or more.

Now it gets funny!!! I am now in a fetal position trying to protect my head as I was being hit and suddenly Butch looks down at me and shouts “Ben control yourself.” I’m thinking, I am lying on the ground, what can I do to control myself? Butch got a nightstick painfully jammed into his stomach for trying to help me. As I am still lying there getting hit, I suddenly see that a cop has Yonah Furman in some hold with his nightstick and realize Yonah is slammed against the wall with his feet dangling off the ground. Yonah then shouts out “Gentlemen this is a peaceful demonstration.” Maybe because of these preposterous scenes it aggravated the cops because I was laughing as they were hitting me.

The rest is a blur to me and we were all let go after our names and addresses were taken. I would think we have Yitzhak Hemowitz to thank we were not arrested.

Did it have any affect? Maybe an iota, and probably less than that, but I am proud we did what we felt we had to do. It was the very least we could have done. Today we still smile and talk of the day we occupied the German UN Offices. That’s what I remember…..

Hope others will share their memories.

Of course wish Benny could have shared his view of that day’s events. He was a great writer. We all miss him.

Ben Rappaport

From David Sprung

There were 8 of us. It was the German observer mission to the U. N. From what I remember. I think Jack Lichie may have been one and I just can’t remember who else. Actually Ben , you started the ruckus when you punched a cop that flew across the room after he wanted you to put your hands on the wall exactly opposite the German symbol on the wall and you refused. That’s when they started in on us with the Billie clubs!

^

The 1955 Pigeon Protest

Source:

Revisionist Youths Demonstrate Against Berlin Symphony Concert
March 2, 1955
NEW YORK

More than 250 members of Betar, the Revisionist youth organization, demonstrated in front of Carnegie Hall tonight in protest against the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra which held its first New York concert there this evening.

While the pickets marched in front of Carnegie Hall, other Betar members distributed leaflets asking for a boycott of the orchestra’s concerts because it was led by Herbert von Karajan and managed by Gerhardt von Westerman, both former members of the Nazi Party.

Meanwhile, the State Department, in identical telegrams yesterday to the Jewish War Veterans and to James C. Petrillo, president of the American Federation of Musicians, whose New York Local 802 had protested the orchestra’s tour of the United States, declared that both von Karajan and von Westerman had been cleared by German denazification courts and therefore had fulfilled the legal requirements necessary under the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act to enter the U. S.

From the New York Times 1989 obituary:

After the war, Mr. Karajan was forbidden by the Allies to conduct for two years, and his first concerts in the United States in 1955 aroused picketing and protests.

In fact, several Betarim had purchased tickets and during the performance released pigeons which they had hidden upon their persons which caused a disturbance.  Rumor has it that one pigeon didn't survive to be released,  

^

Pesach Redemption/Geula SSSJ March 1966

In April 1966, SSSJ carried off a 15,000-person march in the neighborhood of the Soviet Mission off of Park Avenue.

The painted banner, done by Yossi Katz, I think, was carried by the Betarim as seen in this picture:

I have tried to identify persons seen in the picture and would appreciate assistance and corrections and additions:

1.  Eli Solomon הי"ד
2.  Arthur-Aharon Goldberg
3.  Chaim Fischgrund
4.  Nissan Teman
5.  JJ Steinberg
6.  Chuck-Shachna Waxman

^

Yiddish Newspaper Reports on the 1966 Syrian Sit-In

Via Reuven Miller

The 1969 J'Accuse Pompidou Demo

In early 1969, Jacques Pompidou arrived in New York and Betar decided to protest his anti-Israel position and statements. I even think that the NY Zionist Youth Council printed off rolls of round stickers for the subways, etc. and announcing a major demo near the UN with the logo: "J'Accuse, Pompidou".

The separate Betar action was planned to be a sit-down in front of the French Consulate-General on Fifth Avenue.

Instead of managing to get our backs to the building, when we dashed across from Central Park, the presence of closing in police, I recall, forced us to basically end up lined out towards the street making it a very short game of "embassy drag".

Here's Barry Liben being escorted away:



I seem to recall another photo that made it into either the Post or Mirror with Barry, with handcuffs on, having his arms raised behind him and a very painful expression on his face.

Can I ask the Betarim:

a) anyone have any other momentos that we can scan? clippings?

b) who participated?

c) personal reminisces?

Thanks.

Winkie

Steve Adler: Demonstration Against the Shipment of American Tanks to Saudi Arabia

The picture below is a part of a news clipping (Mordechai ben Emek is Morty Dolinsky z"l) of a demonstration against the shipment of American Tanks to Saudi Arabia. I think in the winter of 1957.
I am on the right of the picture. The guy standing behind me, Zvi Abusch, a Bnei Akiva madrich and I organized a walk-out of over 200 kids from Manhattan Talmudical Academy to participate in the demonstration. I think it was the first and only time that there was cooperation in a demonstration between both movements.The school administration wanted to throw us out of school but through the intervention of Rabbi Louis Bernstein, one of the teachers who latter became the president of the US Mizrachi, we were suspended for only 3 days.

Steve Adler

1951 Demo: German Soccer Team Visit to NY

Curtesy of Steve Adler

A 1970 Picture Of What?

I just found this. I think I'm in the center top row, just behind the fellow in a white golf shirt.



Seems to be a demo.

Anyone have details?

Seems to be Arthur Goldberg lower left.

The 1966 Syrian UN Mission Takeover Clippings

Following several serious terror incidents by the Fatah in mid-late 1966, 20 Betarim set off to protest by conducting a sit-in at the Syrian Mission to the United Nations.

Reuven Miller provided these newspaper clippings and all those who participated or think they know anything relating to the activity are invited to comment and provide more details.

1956 Demo

Picture from demonstration against the withdrawal from Sinai in from of UN headquarters New York. End of 1956.

Dressed as UN - Rozi Rubin;

dressed as Nasser - Steve Adler;

dressed as Russian - Mischa Abramov

1949 Anti-Bevin Booing

Is that Marty Meir Kahane on the left?

Betar Protest Against Sinai Withdrawal 1957

Betar Demonstration in Jan. 1957 against the withdrawal from Sinai

in front of the Israeli Consulate in NY - photos from Steve Adler

Natziv Yitzhak Heimowitz presenting and reading a letter of protest against the withdrawal from Sinai to the Israeli Consul Esther Herlitz.

(above)Standing on the left is Mischa Abramov
(above)In front holding a sign is Steve Adler
Holding the sign is Gil Henkin (right)

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."

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.

1956 Demo

Norman Cohen asks:

Do you also remember the demonstration at the Egypt consulate in NYC later that same year, 1956?

And Steve Adler replies:

I definitely do as I participated. We were sure we would all get arrested but at the end no one was.

That 1951 Anti-German reparations Demo

Yitzhak Heimowitz writes:-

It was a Betar Demo, but the Revisionists issued a statement. Both were carried in a Yiddish newspaper and given bare mention in the NY Compass. If you want those press clippings I can send them to you. I think it was a one-time event. I don't remember any other demos on this issue.

and he sent these scanned leaflets from his scrapbook:








-----------------

Norman Cohen asks:

Any scrapbook clippings of the demonstration against President Eisenhower in Washington DC in 1956? We drove down from New York City. Any memories from the mid-1950s Manhattan?

Yitzhak Heimowitz responds:

I recall driving from New York to Washington for a demonstration. My memory is that it was against Anthony Eden at the British Embassy. DC has very strict rules against demonstrating at Embassies and all the Betarim were arrested. I negotiated with the police to get them all released in exchange for our promise to leave Washington immediately. By then two of our three cars had left and I had to take all the Betarim in my car. My recollection is that we had 11 people in the car, even though that probably sounds impossible. Next week I'll check if I have anything about this in my scrapbooks, which are in my office.

And Norman Cohen asks:

Is that the car whose axle broke?

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?

Anti-Reparations Demo

In researching some aspects of the beginnings of the German Reparations Agreement with Israel, I came across a mention in a book, p. 28 in German Reparations and the Jewish World: A History of the Claims Conference by Ronald Zweig here it is, partially online) of a demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria on October 25, 1951 by "Revisionists" protesting the meeting (which was called to coordinate policy but also left out some important American Jewish organizations,.

Moshe Brodetzky wrote:

I was with MORTY DOLINSKY inside the hotel - in the corridor - outside the room - where the deal was being considered - and praying tehilim / mincha.

Yitzhak Heimowitz writes:

It wasn't outside, it was inside. I was one of the group of Betarim who located the room in which the conference was taking place and broke in. We demonstrated for quite a while until we left, either because we were finished or because security guards arrived. My impression was that the delegates took it without going wild, and were not surprised that Betar had found them out.