Memories From Your Years in FZY
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23 Memories
FZY100: One movement, one family, one hundred years
Be a part of FZY100…
Celebratory events for FZY’s centenary include a grand reunion bringing all ages together in March 2010 in England and Israel. FZY is now inviting all past members to register their interest in the celebrations and to leave their memories here, on this brand new FZY100 website.
Other Events
British reunion 7th march
Israel reunion 18th march
FZY100 Poland trip – 21-23rd may
Register for FZY100!
The Federation of Zionist Youth (FZY) is Anglo-Jewry’s largest Zionist Jewish youth movement, spanning the whole of the UK. Founded in 1910, it has grown in size and stature currently running weekly activities and summer camps for hundreds of Jewish teenagers in Britain as well as tours and gap-year programmes in Israel. Both Israels first UN Ambassador, Abba Eban, and Israel’s sixth President, Chaim Herzog, were members of the movement which is currently enjoying its most successful ever decade, taking more than 4,500 Jewish teenagers to Israel on short and long-term programmes since the year 2000.
In 1955 a new FZY Group was started in Leeds - it was the first there had been and was called the Moadim Society. The first chairman was Martin Clarke (who now lives in London), Vice chairman was Robin Gittleman (now Gilmore) and I was on the committee. We were very active and I have happy memories of interfunctions with Groups from Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Southport. We went to FZY Conference in London and met all the Maskirut.
In January 1957 I became the second chairman and enjoyed leading a very enthusiastic Group. One of our fund raising activities was going door to door amongst the local Jewish community collecting money for the Huleh Valley Reclamation Fund in Israel.
My FZY journey began as a shy little girl from Leeds, attending the weekly Sunday night Ketura meetings. I then went on Kesher in 2001, followed by Tour in 2002. This is the point when I knew I wanted to spend my GAP year in Israel with FZY. Following the most incredible year, I led Kesher in 2005 and then Ofek the year later. My FZY journey ended in summer 2007 as the madticha for Tour 8! As I look back over these amazing memories, I realise that FZY was not only responsible for providing many fun summers, but regarding the friends that I have, the job that I do and the things that are important in my life today, FZY has helped me define who I am as a person.
Both my sons have been involved in FZY, as participants and leaders. Coming from Glasgow, they have benefited from becoming part of the extended FZY family, making friends from across the UK and increasing their leadership skills. One is now working as Northern Fieldworker and bringing these skills back to Glasgow where he is helping the next generation of young people develop their Jewish identity and love of Israel. His journey from teenager to confident young adult has been tied up with so many FZY milestones, being ‘out late’ for local Sunday night meetings, that first extended trip away from home on Tour, becoming a local committee member, becoming a madrich. In fact for 5 out of the last 6 summers we lost him to FZY - but gladly, as we now see him take his place as a committed and active member of the Jewish Community
From the age of 14 FZY has had a huge influence on my life. Along with many of my friends we have grown up together in the movement, and so many of my formative moments have come from FZY. I have travelled the FZY journey from my first camp to now being part of the Mazkirut, able to be a part of shaping the future of FZY, and being a madricha, helping to give back to the movement what I took from it. It makes me so proud to be a part of a movement with such a rich history and a promising future.
memories memories. its over 30 years so a bit hazy. Sunday night gatherings more often than not in my house. annual dances, 26 mile sponsored walks, trips to visit fzy groups in manchester and london. it was great fun - but with a purpose. The movement in glasgow was very strong then, the biggest i believe outside london. The reason being, i think, was because it was a socail thing which happened to also be educational and a fund raising vehicle. thats the secret. My daughter Francesca is now following in my footsteps. She did the summer trip on the 30th anniversary that i did it, then Year Course. Am i that old??? Congratulations to FZY on their 100th. I hope you continue to go from strength to strength. If Francesca has anything to do with it, i am sure you will.
AKA MO……my story.
There were always two obvious choices for my gap year. One was a year in Israel, the other FZY. The FZY programme was far better than any other that I had seen or heard about, so it was the obvious choice. Nili, was my group, NIlidogs was our name!
That year of Kibbutz, Marva, Hifa, and Jerusalem, was by far the best year I have had so far, and various events throughout that year shapped me in to the person I am today.
My FZY involvement on a national scale took a little dip, but it was the Manchester Kehilla led by Miss Lainie Sless, which included the famous Jonny Bunt, and Adam Pike, that kept me hooked. Just to put it out there, Manchester defintaley did, and still does have the best Bogrim Kehilla FZY has ever seen!.
Each summer since YC worked at Sprout Lake, a YJ camp, learnig my trade, and after I finished uninversity where better to apply my skills than FZY, as the Northern Fieldworker. The past year as Northern Fieldworker overall was a great one! Meeting so many FZY memebers from those in the chavurot to bogrim all over the country.
I would like you use this oppertunity, also since it is so close to Rosh Hashanah, to thank everyone for a great year, it was a pleasure working with you all, especially the best movement team of Slav, Rafi, Guv, Einav, Ayelet and our leader Jack! not forgetting the amazing office team!
Wishing you all a Shana Tova U’Metuka
Daniel Moses a.ka MO
P.S. For those of you who were there that tour madrichim weekend:
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV I SAY TO YOU
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV HOW DO YOU DO?
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV ISGOOD TO SAY
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV EVERY SINGLE DAY!
I WALK ALONG SO HAPPILY,
BECAUSE YOU SAY BOKER TOV TO ME
AND YOU SAY IT WITH A GREAT BIG SMILE
IT MAKES THE MORNING SO WORTH WHILE
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV I SAY TO YOU
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV HOW DO YOU DO?
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV ISGOOD TO SAY
BOKER TOV BOKER TOV EVERY SINGLE DAY!
What stands out most to me in my long FZY journey is not the programmes that now shape our movement, particularly Kesher and Tour. My best memories in FZY have undoubtedly been at FZY events which have been ‘out of the FZY ordinary’ in some way.
My favourite FZY event of all time (and I am not including Year Course as an event in this regard) was Te’amim 2005. Te’amim was a second timers programme in Israel that only ran for two years. We spent a week volunteering in Haifa, a week doing Gadna, and a week with the Tsofim, hiking, visiting Jerusalem and experiencing home hospitality (and for the first time, Max Brenner). Not only was the programme unusual because it only ran twice in FZY’s history but also because of the 12 participants I was the only Londoner, rare, if not unheard of in FZY! But by the end of the 3 week trip we were 12 best friends, and I still keep in contact with some of the Tsofim from that trip, as well as having seen Israel in a way not normally seen pre-YC.
Other such memorable events were KBC (winter camp) 2003, which stopped the following year and Veida 2005. On KBC we had 40 chanichim, 16 madrichim and a very small, very cold site in wales with an ohel ochel (dining tent) instead of a chadar ochel (dining room), which made for a very memorable 5 days. Veida 2005 was my first Veida and I was one of only 4 chanichim, the only chanicha and on the steering committee. I finally learnt what FZY was all about, bonded with bogrim from across many shichvaot and prepared myself to be huge FZY keeno on my return from YC.
From chavurot, Kesher, KBC, Tour, Te’amim, Veidot, Senior chavura (a shortlived but very amusing venture of some sixth formers in 2006), Year Course and now as a bogeret part of an ever growing Nottingham kehilla and as a madricha on machane in 2009, FZY has undoubtedly made me the person I am today, shaped my ideals and my ideology and given me a close knit movement of which I am proud to be a part.
I became a member of Southgate Hafinjan in 1969 if memory serves and later a founder member of Hanegev YZS. These 2 societies were the best and most successful FZY groups of their time (no really!). Among other things we spawned the Superquins and the Third Seder Hagada which was devoted in 1972 to Israel-Palestine Co-existence (Oh the foolish innocence of youth). I was a madrich on the FZY Israel trip in 1975 and 1976 was persuaded to take on the post of National Chairman of the Mazkirut. Other minor characters who helped me from time to time included Paul Lenga, Eden Lenga, Barry Green, Nigel kat, David Vinegrad, Herbie Goldberg, Robert Cohen Elissa Feingold (as was) and a host of others too numerous to mention (also creeping dementia has obliterated many names). I had the honour of working with great shlichim some of whom remain good friends to this day. This blog is too shaort to list all the great annual conferences with their motions and ammendments, seminars, events, parties, trips, demos and other things we did. Funny thing is that I didn’y meet my wife Judith through FZY, thus busting the original intention of my parents. One thing I did was to travel to the Soviet Union in 1980 to meet refuseniks of the time, a truly memorable mission. In 1983 I aliya’d to Israel where I have been since with one break. 3 kids, one grandchild, all Hebrew speakers. Mission accomplished!
I will never forget the time my friend turned up at school and said that he had booked to go on FZY Israel Tour and said that I must also, when I had my heart set on going with a different youth movement. I’d never even heard of FZY! That was when it all changed for me! 6 months later there I was on my first FZY event and my first visit Israel. It was near the end of the experience that I decided that this was something I wanted to do and be involved with, so when my tour madrich asked me to set up a local FZY society I fell in love with the idea. 5 years later I found myself as an Israel Tour madrich, asking a small group of chanichim to do exactly the same thing having also just secured a post in the FZY office as a movement worker.
These 2 moments I think perfectly sum up what I think this wonderful movement of ours is all about and to see it reach 100 years young I think is a a huge ahcievement. Hears to another 100 years.
Oh, and the time I got married to someone on camp as part of a grand peula, that was also pretty good. So was the tzevet meetings on Ofek 2002, and all of Year Course 2001/02, and the time when…..well you get the idea.
It may appear to be almost 100 years ago (!), but I was on the FZY 7th Shnat Sherut group which left the UK in September 1953. Together with other West European chaverim, our 10-week hachshara was in Villeneuve-sur-Lot in South-Western France in a derelict farmhouse (but spectacular countryside) which had housed many pre-State illegal immigrants destined for Palestine. Sadly, most of them were probably interned in Cyprus, but we hoped eventually arrived in Israel.
In November, we sailed from Marseilles on the ss Negba, and landed in Haifa on a miserable cold wet day, so I was initially disappointed in the Land of Milk and Honey. Kibbutz Usha was our destination. I remained there for a short time and then moved to a religious kibbutz in the Negev. Other chaverim in our group dispersed after the program, some to remain in Israel and others to return to their home countries. After 52 years, I did finally make aliya. I’m still in contact with two people from our group, but maybe there are more of you out there?
Best wishes to FZY and members on its centenary.
Shula Arnhem
I was a member of GYZO(Glasgow) from about 1954-the days of Donald Silk, Sydney Shipton.
When I moved to London in 1959 I worked at the ZF in Great Russell Street,continued my involvement and was on the Mazkirut. I met my husband(זל ) at an FZY Purim Spiel in Dean Street synagogue….we married in Glasgow in 1960,lived in Gants Hill and continued our relationship with FZY.David had been on shnat sherut (before we met) and he was also on the Mazkirut. In fact he put together The History of FZY.
In 1972 we came on Aliyah to Karmiel…and when FZYI was set up I was part of the committee for some years.
Already recognised some of the names..here Susan(nee Lewis) from Leeds,Antony Luder of course…..and others.
And for those who remember Wally & Natalie Goldf of Summer School fame. I asm still in cvlose contact with Natalie and her children David and his sister Davina.Wally passed away a number of years ago.
I was a member of the Weizmann Society in Westcliff on Sea fom 1964 until 1972 when I made aliyah.The weekly meetings and the trips helped me to intigrate into the Westcliff Jewish community after moving from Tottenham,London.Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I have been living here for the last 38 years and have had experiences which were not possible in England.Such as Kibbutz life,I.D.F. service,Two degrees from the Open University of Israel and being an Israeli civil servant.I can say that the F.Z.Y played it’s part.
Ilford FZYwas started by Wolfie and Evelyn Abrahams holding meetings in the Abraham’s house.Other founder members I remember were David Glass and Stuart Stantonand It quickly became a very successdful group with many reguar members. We then started Hanoar Hazioni and Hafinjan all of which continued for many years after I left. Other names I remember from Ilford are Faybia Gould, ( living in Israel) David Firestone, Edith Waldmann. Sandra Kreeger. Alan Fox andof curse the head office helpers like Valerie, Grace and Wally Gold.
Those days left wonderfiul memories as did meetings with other groups from London and the rest of the country, but perhaps non so wonderful as the conferences and the summer schools I attended.Barry and I look forward to the re-union but hope everyone wears name badges!!!!!!!!
I was a former member from the years of 1985 or 1986 onward until about 1999 or 2000. I always attended the local groups being Aleph based in Cockfosters, and Gesher based in the Barnet areas. Later on, in time, I attended the weekend seminars and confererences, plus would you believe - the Leeds Ball on a annual basis. Or certainly in any event I went a couple of times.
Now the funnily strange tihing is, that on one Leeds Ball or a general Seminar occasion, I danced with a certain Adam Foreman who was on the Mazkirut much later on in time after I was already attending my local groups. And the ironic thing is that we met up again once more at a Day Centre in Golders Green, now that would have had to have been 20 yearrs at least!!!
Furthermore, I did always enjoy seeing the Mazkirut attend local group meetings on a regular basis also, and boy did I enjoy meeting a lot of Mazkrut in my time during the years that I was a member, and do seriously remember enjoying holiding an Aerobics stint at a seminar. And yes, in case anybody is wondering, I am still strutting my stuff in Cardio Dance Workout and traditional aerobics.. Also, for those who would remember me, I was always a very social outgoing character never mind the fact, that I do have specific problem (s) about me.
One would dearly love to see those members of Aleph and Gesher over again, and those who were on the Mazkirut level for the many years that I was involved with FZY. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FZY!!!
I joined Southgate Hafinjan in about 1977 and I met my husband, Eliot, at a Southgate Hafinjan disco in 1979 when I was 15 and he was 17. We went on Tour together in 1980, and our Madrich was JK (Jonathan Kay), who is now a driving instructor and in fact taught my daughter to drive last year!!. We eventually got married in 1987 when I was 23 and he was 25. Our daughter, Hayley didn’t go on Tour with FZY, but our son, David, is keeping up the family tradition and is heavily involved with the Tzedakah Vad and is in fact going on Tour with FZY this summer.
I was Secretary and then Treasurer of Southgate Hafinjan and Eliot was Programming Officer, and later for a short while I became Joint Chairman of Menorah (a group for older teenagers).
We went on many weekends and Conventions and made many friends throughout our years at FZY, some of them lifelong, and in fact Lionel Zeltser (who is still a friend) was Best Man at our wedding.
Happy 100th Anniversary FZY – here’s to the next century!
Ilford Hafinjan and FZY have a lot to answer for. A large proportion of it’s members from the 70’s having married each other (including my sister and brother-in-law)!
FZY sent me on the Machon in 1977 having faithfully toured the seminar and Conference route for about 4 years. I had never been to Israel before (nor had anybody from my immediate family) and so this was quite an adventure. On my return I played an active role in the movement (Linda Robinson at that time being National Chairman) and was delighted to be sent back to Israel as Year Course Madricha in 1980. In 1981 I married Barry Green despite the fact he lived on the other side of the North Circular in Southgate Hafinjan/Hanegev territory (he was pure FZY stock!) and we have been living in Israel since.
I was a founder member of Project 500 (Glasgow Hafinjan) group in 1968 and later became chairman. I met my wife through Project & still have many friends - and memories - from those days. I was also a tour madrich in 1972 wnen it was decided to run a second tour for the first time due to demand! The careful recruitment & training process consisted of a telephone call and a day in London to meet my fellow madricha. A bit different from today.
All of our sons joined Project 500 (I warned them not to speak to any girls) & all went on Tour & Year Course. All benefited enormously & met their best friends there. Coming from a small Jewish community, FZY was their way in to a wider Jewish world. One went on to be Mazkir for two years, & one now lives in Israel. We are very grateful for the role that FZY has played in our & our sons’ lives. Happy Anniversary and may FZY continue to grow and prosper
My first contact with FZY was through Ilford FZY in 1958/59 and for the first time I was coming into contact with a Jewish youth scene with which I felt comfortable. Soon afterwards Ilford Hafinjan was established for the younger age-range with David Samuels, a leading light in its creation, becoming its first chair. I then took over as chair, supported by an immensely enthusiastic committee, which included Nina (nee Rosen), later to become my wife.
Those days were immensely formative, not just because we were being inducted into a deeper understanding of our Jewish heritage and an allegiance to Zionism, but because we as a group of young people were taking ownership of the processes involved in education and socialisation - we were in charge! We established the agenda for our weekly meetings, ranging from Israeli themes, addressed by the likes of David Glass ( mentioned in an earlier ‘memory’ ) to more social events, including parties and concerts where we showed off our talents (often limited ) as musicians and actors. Outings were organised to various places including the local swimming pool (Kingfisher - long since gone to make way for a hotel) , Hampton Court Palace and the Royal Festival Hall (for a programme which I remember included Beethoven’s 9th Symphony).
FZY, therefore, was critical in my personal development for a number of reasons: it strengthened my identity as a young Jew, it opened up a social world which I relished and it gave me a taste of leadership in action in a setting which made for collaboration and mutual respect. Some of the fellow members have become life-long friends, including John Simon, David and Ruth (nee Wernick) Samuels, Angela Goldstein (nee Stone) and Ralph Rosen. And of course this is where I met my wife, Nina……. so now three children and three grand children later and into semi-retirement after a career in teacher education, I look back with great affection to those days of young adulthood.
May FZY continue to prosper!
I joined FZY when I was fourteen (I am now nearly 55!) I was quickly made secretary with David Barnet being chairman it was just a hafinjan as was still quite young but have vivid memories of christmas’s spent in Oxford where we met up with all the older FZY niks and thought we were all important. When war broke out in Israel in 1973 I became organising secretary of FZY and became involved in FZY as a whole. I can honestly say that from l4 to about l9 FZY was one of the most important parts of my life and made great friends there. Being married with 6 kids (2 step) I wish there was an older group l8+ for my single kids who would so benefit from having a regular place to meet up with other jewish kids. There is a real gap in the market for kids who dont go to uni so come on FZY let us club together and start something so that they dont have to resort to J date or end up leaving the jewish scene for good and marrying out.
What I found interesting about my experiences with FZY from Kesher in 2002 up until taking tour in 2008 was I never expected the following summers/years to be better than the previous one. From 2002 to 2006 I was a chanich and enjoyed the pleasures of being expected to act as immature as I possibly could. From 2006 to 2008, I was a madrich and enjoyed the pleasures of getting away with being immature.
However, in terms of why I enjoyed every year more than the last is down to one thing…my peers. Although I can’t highlight a specific example of why I enjoyed the camps as a chanich, Year Course changed everything. I still don’t shut up about it and that is probably because of the bonds I created with the people I shared my year with…TELEM! For the record, Telem were the last ever group on Year Course.
My colleagues during the two summer camps in 2006 and 2007 made my summer. From the grass skiing incident of Kesher to the various jokes on Ofek 07 (most notably Neil Boonin’s Country in the Business Joke).
Taking tour was an experience that I can’t really explain but I can say that I loved it.
If I could highlight one memory from my time with FZY it would probably be on Year Course when the Telem boys went Snowboarding in Hermon and went to Akko where we “took a helicopter ride and saw a whale”.1
1. We did not actually do these things but suggestive photography proves otherwise.
Wow Since i was 14 i have been invloved with FZY. I’ve Been on OFEK, KESHER, Tour and Year Course. I was a leader on OFEK in 2008 and it was one of the most funnist summers i have had in Recent years.
My best time with FZY has to be on Year Course, when i Graduated from Marva,
I just want to say a big thanks to FZY for making this happen
x
I joined SE London Hafinjan in 1960 although I was often to be seen with Sue Savage in Ilford Hafinjan. Memories of Eder Farm and the “ablutions” (it always seemed to rain) are still in my mind. A great time was had one summer at Carmel College when Hanoar Hatzioni tried to pinch our flag but we got to them first and took theirs and SE London made everyone apple pie beds one day - nearly getting caught on several occasions. We never owned up until I sent a poem to the magazine confessing all! It was amazing what sort of quirky sleeping habits some people had - but that’s another story! There were several “dirty” songs going round (especially one about Roz Bayes - which I wouldn’t dream of divulging!) and a great evening of skits when Jon Simon insisted on repeating “It will be long, it will be hard but there will be no withdrawals” Apparently repeating a so-called speech of Churchill, although I’ve never personally heard it quoted anywhere else. I can now confess I didn’t understand the joke at the time!!!! At Ilford we used to sit in front of the TV and watch TW3 after a shiur (or was that before???) Anyway, I’ve been married almost 42 years, no kids, travelled the world on the money we saved not having them and got an MBE (OK, so I’m boasting just a teenzy bit) Only got to visit Israel for the first time about 10 years ago. It will be great to meet old friends from the 60’s and catch up with other people’s memories - I have more but they can be saved up……….Derry
I have a photo (which I will bring to the London Reunion/Celebration ) of the FIRST FZY Trip to Israel in 1962.
I was a founding member of North-West London Hafinjan in 1960/1 , together with John Samson who was our chairman.
There are many, many great memories - including the Hafinjan Council of which I was a member, together with my future boyfriend and husband Jonathan Young from Ilford Hafinjan. (We were both vice-chairmen in those days !) In fact, I remember the discussions about the name of our new young movement, when we voted for Hafinjan and the song became our motif.
We had both become involved because our elder siblings were in FZY - Norma (nee Sherbourne) who became FZYs Organising Secretary after serving on the Mazkirut, and Robert Young of Ilford ‘Finjan & YZS (who has placed his memories above).
Then there were the seminars, conferences & summer-schools - all both educational, fun and highly memorable!
Derina (nee Green) who has written above, together with Susan (nee Savage) and I sang a version of Three Little Girls at Shool at Skeet Hill House, after Jon Young had woken us all at 5a.m. with a bugle reveille from the roof-top…….aah those were the days. My sister married the FZY Tarbut Officer from Manchester, Peter Freedman, Jon’s brother married Nina
who was also on the first FZY Israel trip …and so it goes on….
I’m off to join the Israel Celebrations next week, after today’s jamboree at JFS in London, and looking forward to seeing many old friends - now in our 60’s……Maybe see you there……..?