Saturday July 3rd
On July 3, BAJC hosted a Havdalah evening with a Hashomer Hatzair group which was active as a progressive Zionist youth group in New York in the 1950s. It was a deeply moving experience for all who attended.
After a beautiful Havdalah service led by Burt, the Hashomer Hatzair group shared their stories and memories, speaking passionately about how they had been drawn to the movement as teenagers and about their determination—often despite the misgivings of their parents—to participate in the struggle for Israel ’s survival as well as in the idealistic vision of its kibbutzim. It was for them “a world apart,” and, for most, it became the centerpiece of their lives. Many went together to learn farming and kibbutz living on a Zionist farm in New Jersey and then to a much more difficult experience on Kibbutz Nachshon near the Jordanian border in Israel.
The bonds formed by these individuals have lasted over the intervening 50 years. Israel continues to be an important part of their lives, and their children, almost without exception, have inherited their passion and idealism.
The evening, of course, was filled with song, most movingly one with words by the great Hebrew poet Hayyim Nachman Bialak that the group sings each time they gather. The rich connections made over the course of the evening led several Hashomer Hatzair members to acknowledge that while they had never felt comfortable in synagogues, BAJC was different. And they certainly were a gift to us.
Hashomer Hatzair's website
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