Wellesley Aron - Founder of Habonim

Reprinted from Habonim 65th. Anniversary newsletter

	Wellesley Aron
	Prophet
	and
	Visionary
In 1928/29 Wellesley Aron wrote a number of Memoranda which he presented to Zionist and Jewish Leaders of the Anglo-Jewish community. One of these is entitled "Zionism and the Jewish Youth in English speaking communities" and another "A proposed Jewish Cultural Youth Move­ment (for the children between the ages of, say, 12 and 16 years)" In these and other documents, Aron developed his conception of the aims, and organizational framework of such a movement detailing such items as systems and methods, the establishment of Gedudim and Kvutzot, the passing of tests, the setting up of Training Courses for Leaders. Our scheme, it is suggested, should lead to an attachment to the New Palestine. The methods employed must be purely educational. It is submitted that political issues should on no account be thrust on the consciousness of immature minds, and for that reason it is suggested that the, work amongst the Youth should be of a purely general Jewish cultural nature. The love for things Jewish and hence for Palestine and the Zionist endeavour cannot spring from theoretical discussions nor from the study of statistics. It is something subtle, intangible and delicate, which requires gentle, persuasive,tactful and inspiring evocation. Further our ideals must be clothed in garb which can appeal to the aesthetic and emancipated tastes of our youthful successors". He succeeded in inspiring Norman Lourie  and Chaim Lipshitz in forming the first Gedud of Habonim. 'Gedud Trumpeldor. From that modest beginning of one Gedud in London the Movement grew and spread both in London and other Jewish centres throughout the country. In February 1988 "Heritage" (Habonim South Africa) published an article by Wellesley Aron. We quote here a number of extracts. "At the age of 19 I never had cause to ven­ture into that area of London known as the East End until I answered a call for volunteers to help in running a Jewish boys club in Whitechapel. This was an almost exc1usively Jewish area and when I went there for the first time there was not a breath of fresh air in the narrow streets and the residents, young and old, were sitting on the pavements in front of their squalid homes. The conditions were overcrowded and appalling and this was the core of the Jewish community of the East End in the early part of the century." "The person who motivated me to visit the area was Basil Henriques. Concerned for the way and the conditions in which these young people were growing up, he asked me to assume responsibility for a group of Boy Scouts, struggling leaderless at the time. I accepted the assignment ­little knowing that it was to mark the turning of my life ..... " Several years later after completion of his studies at the University ... "I shocked my family, friends and contemporaries by announcing that I intended to leave for Palestine ... In 1926 I duly left, married and taught English and sports to shy enthusiastic youngsters at the Herzlia Gymnasium in Tel-Aviv. However, Chaim Weizman had other plans for me and insisted that I return to London as his Assistant Political Secretary. It was in 1929 when I met an old friend from Cambridge and Bethnal Green Jewish Lads Club. He was anxious for me to look it over since, he said, I had a reputation for knowing about and doing that sort of work. I spent the evening with him at the Club. When we were about to leave my friend asked me for my opinion of the Club. 'Frankly", I said, "I don't know why you call it a Jewish Lad's Club?'  'Well,'  he replied, 'because they are all Jews.' 'To my mind that does not answer my question', I said. 'What do they do that is Jewish? Gymnastics, drama, folk dancing, etc.? There's nothing specifically Jewish about that.' 'So what do you suggest?' He wanted to know. "I had no immediate reply but promised to think about the problem. It was several weeks later that a plan formed in my mind; a plan which I immediately felt impelled to share with others; a plan which was to germinate and grow and eventually to emerge as Habonim ...” "There was nothing I could do to deflect his (Norman Lourie) enthusiasm. Norman planted himself in my sitting room and actually slept and lived there for weeks. During this time he took from me, the transcripts of the material I dictated, as quickly as my secretary could type them. Armed with these thoughts of mine he rushed to apply them at a Jewish school in the East End of London where he persuaded Chaim Lipshitz (son of the Headmaster) to introduce Habonim in the form of a Gedud called after Trumpeldor of Tel-Hai fame. Others joined in the process and soon there were more Habonim groups in Manchester , Liverpool, Glasgow and other large cities in the U.K. I started a Training Course for leaders in London , where I was available, to instruct 10 or more would be "Rashei Gcdudim" on how to apply the programme." Despite the lack of support or understanding of the Jewish communal leaders everywhere, the movement spread. But the Jew­ish youth were alert to the dangers of assimila­tion and recognized in Habonim exactly the kind of remedy called for. "In the midst of all this growth and expansion my work in the Zionist Organization was ter­minated. I solved my own personal problem by returning to Palestine . The problem of Habonim was taken care of by the late Joe Gilbert, step­ping into my shoes to serve Habonim loyally and devotedly for the rest of his life. All of you who are reading these lines will be able to add their own reminiscences. It was a success story ...” A.G

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Comments

[David Chester]

The author of this article is the late Avraham Greenspan who continued to edit later issues of this booklet as a bianual journal. Subsequently, the 65th. aniversary booklet with this article, by default became the number 1 issue of the Kol Vatikei Habonim semi-annual journal. Unfortunately Avraham (and several others too) has claimed that Wellesley Aron first discovered the lack of Jewish education at the East-End London Jewish clubs in 1929. Actually it was in 1928. By 1929 Habonim had already been founded, a hand-book written and the first Gedudim established. These facts have been checked by my reviewing some of Welessley's writings of which (some at least) are in the Archive at Yad Tebenkin, Ramat Rfal near Tel-Aviv.

[frank farbenbloom]

David,
You are correct regarding when Aron was exposed to the situration in Stepney. It was in 1928.

According to his account he first publicly presented his outline about founding Habonim at a meeting in November 1928. At that meeting he first met Norman Lourie. In his account Aron says "For the next few weeks I was completley occupied working out this proposal".

I appears that the first Gedud actually started in 1929 though the date of 1928 appears in the diagram for the brick (Levana) that appears in the handbook.

My account is taken from his book "Rebel With a Cause", pg. 49.

Thanks for the update. I am preparing a much more detailed account to expand on the original article written by Ginger (Avraham) Greenspan.

[David Chester]

Thanks for your support, Frank. Having spent a few fantastic hours reviewing the early Habo history in the Yad Tabenkin archives, I too am writing about it. What I have discovered is that before Wellesley got involved in November 1928, Chaim Lipshitz already had formed a group of youngsters in his father's Cheder and was informally teaching them Modern Hebrew, songs and dances. Students from other nearby Talmud Torahs joined.

Chaim claims it was well established by Chanukah 1928 but it was not called "Gedud Trumpeldor" until the following year, possibly as late as October (according to Jack Rose, who apparently was "the first boneh of the Gedud").

[linda marom shomer]

wellesley aron gave an interview to the Hebrew University also. this is preserved in the Habonim archive. as i recall, he describes the attitude of his family to his activities involving the less fortunate younger jewish population of london. the Arons were wealthy to a point where it seemed to them inappropriate to be mixing with the lower strata of society, and went so far as to cut him off! they were embarassed by his open admission of his jewish origins. wellesley aron's story is excellent educational material, in itself.

[David Chester]

Wellesley, the fifth child of his Jewish father and first child of his Jewish mother, left his mother's home in London in 1926. This was some time after the almost fully-assimilated family had previously lived in Devon as aristocrats. His father was of German nationallity and had to live in Switzerland during the first world war, where he died. The four previous children were English-born of a Christian first wife, one of them was killed in the fighting.

In reviewing and writing up the personal history it is very easy to assume facts which have no backing and the interviews do not support the view that Wellesley's mother's attitude of working for the poor was "beneath" them. In fact his earlier 1920 Scouting leadership in poverty-struck Stepney (London) occured before he left home and this choice did not cause him to separate from his family.

[David Chester]

This post began with the title that claims Wellesley as our founder. I wish to point out that there were 3 founders not one (as I have described in more detail in 3 articles and a letter in our KBH magazine).

The second founder was Chaim Lipshitz, who began to teach Jewish songs, dances and history (and camp-craft too) to a group of young Jewish boys at his father's Cheder in Whitechapel, East London, in late 1928. This group later became Gedud Trumpledor, our first gedud. They actually preceded Wellesley's two January 1929 meetings (not November 1928 as Wellesley later mistakenly claimed), calling for the movement to be formed.

The first meeting was with only 5 persons, but due to the third founder, see below, the next meeting a week later was much more significant.

The third founder was Norman Laurie (with his girl friend/wife, Nadia), who helped Wellesley to print the first Habonim Handbook (unofficially in the Zionist Federation offices). He invited the Jewish Students from Oxford and Cambridge to participate in the second (50 +) week-end meeting and joined in the subsequent committee formation that was vital for the organized progress of our Movement.

Nachum (Norman) was not only involved in the Handbook's production, (used in the training of the first madrichim), but was living with Wellesley for a few weeks and arranging at committee meetings the development of the structure of the variously organized stages of teaching and training. The young couple returned to South Africa in 1930 to found the Habonim Movement that was there too.

Any chaverim who would like an e-copy of the whole story, please contact me at [email protected]