The web site dedicated to the people who established and grew Betar Australia:  1948 - 1965 ... and beyond.
January 23, 2025
To view, click on a collage below.

- Sydney B'nei Etzel 1959

Sydney B'nei Etzel 1959

January 22, 2025.

Keith Masnick has fowarded the B'nei Etzel photo of 1959  with the names of its members and notations of those who have passed.

He also noted:
1. Micheline has just died
2. Sid says he  lost contact with news about Chava after I learnt that she had married A J Harle, a chemistry lecturer for 1st years at Sydney Uni who joined the uni in 1959.

To see the photo enlarged, go here and review NOTE #34 near the bottom of the page to see the updated names.

- Sorry to Report: Garry Stock passes

Sorry to Report: Garry Stock passes

December 9, 2024.
From Evie Katz/Aaron Ninedek: Garry Stock passes away in Israel.

Description by a funeral attendee: It was very long.. 1 and a half hours of hespedim, 4 songs: the Collingwood anthem, מעל פסגת הר הצופים (this was the Scopus school song Me'al Pisgat Har Hatsofim), The Betar anthem (Was this Shtei G'dot Layarden?) and Hatikvah. The choice of songs was indicative of the forces that influenced him. I think Garry would have been proud to get the email with details of the new Scopus College in Caulfield and it was symbolic that it arrived today.
It was a very big funeral which showed how highly people thought of him.

Garry's eulogy can be seen here.

- Sorry to Report: Eric Aufgang passes

Sorry to Report: Eric Aufgang passes

September 11, 2024

Susan Aufgang has posted Eric's eulogy here.


From Aaron Ninedek:

Sorry to report, Eric Aufgang passed away today, 18th July 2024. He was 85y 5m.

Eric was one of my closest friends. Over many, many years we were active in Betar together, went to Teachers College together, played squash together, shared meals together and spent time together. He was my Best Man at my first wedding. Recently, both of us had medical issues which caused us to lose contact. A great loss.

- Larry Sitsky: Articles on Larry at 90

Larry Sitsky: Articles on Larry at 90

Quadrant Magazine

This issue of Quadrant is tribute to Larry Sitsky at Ninety. Four friends have united in this editorial each with their own story. 

The articles appeared in the January-February edition of Quadrant. (Archived articles, such as these, are only available online on subscription, at $A98 per year.)

However, clicking on the link (below) will enable you to open the site and, by searching for "Larry Sitsky" will give you access to a small number of the tributes.

Quadrant link.

- OAM to Jennifer Lea Morris

OAM to Jennifer Lea Morris

Congratulations to Jenny Morris who was awarded the OAM in the King's Birthday Honours.

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
in the General Division
Ms Jennifer Lea Morris, Roseville NSW 2069

For service to women through leadership and mentoring roles. Women for Election (Australia) • Emeritus Chair, since 2021. • Former Chair. • Founder, 2014. Women and Leadership • Board Member, Women's Indigenous Network, 2014-2015. • Co-Chair and Executive Council Member, NSW Equal Employment Opportunity Practitioners Association (NEEOPA - now The Inclusion Circle), 2006-2010. • Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Orijen Group, since 2000. • Facilitator, Women in IT Executive Mentoring (WITEM) Coaching Circles, DELL, since 2012. Other • Chair, NSW Volunteer Council, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), 2007-2009. • Former Teacher and School Counsellor. Awards and Recognition include: • Westpac/AFR 100 Women of Influence

- Article on Kibbutz Kissufim

Article on Kibbutz Kissufim

A friend sent an article, in Hebrew, regarding events at the kibbutz last weekend. You may recall that in 1967 a group of us from Betar Australia volunteered at the kibbutz. 

For those with lesser Hebrew skills than I, I have tried to translate it. Apologies, in particular, for the spelling of people's names. Download the 5 page article here.

Trusting you are all safe. 
Best wishes to you all,

Peter Keeda

- NEW: Restored Historical Videos from Sydney - 1956-1965

NEW: Restored Historical Videos from Sydney - 1956-1965

Over the past 2 months (June-August, 2023), a dedicated team of film restorers have produced two new videos showing the life and times our Betar Sydney (mostly), Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne families experienced in the mid 1950s to mid-1960s.

The restoration team: John Ziegler retransferred the 8mm films to digital; Peter Keeda, Sid Agranoff and Keith Masnick identified (sometimes correctly) those in the films, and Harry Stuart re-organised, added the captions to the videos, and processed them in his 'studio' in the US. Using the advantages of digital technology, some of the scenes look like they were taken just yesterday - although our arthritis tells another story. These two productions (with a musical background) have been added to the history captured in the 1962 Kenes Artzi video of 2 years ago.

Are YOU captured in these films? Go HERE to see the lists of identified people in each video. All videos are hosted on YouTube and are private, meaning that only the link provided will allow them to be seen.

Please enjoy the fruits of our labour. Pass the links on to your children and grandchildren - and in some cases, great-grandchildren  - who can now get a glimpse of 'the olden days' when we could enjoy one another without the interferience of the world we live in today.

-Harry Stuart

- Jan Poddebsky's book Published Posthumously

Jan Poddebsky's book Published Posthumously

Jan's book "From Vienna to Sydney:Migration, Refuge, Modernity and Culture" based on her doctorate thesis has just been published.

Jan passed away in December 2020. Her obituary can be seen here.

An essay on the book, written by Thomas Kampe, csn be downloaded here.

Thanks to Peter Keeta for the news.

- A Glance at Betar Melbourne's Pioneers

A Glance at Betar Melbourne's  Pioneers

Sid Agranoff has gathered information on the pioneers of Betar Melbourne from data supplied by Bob Sitsky. The chart contains many names whom you may recognise along with some interesting facts you probably did not know.
The chart can be seen here.

- Woronora II 1958: the Story Behind the Story

Woronora II 1958: the Story Behind the Story


At about 13:45 in the Camps video, there is a scene where a trophy is presented to a scout leader during a Misdar (parade). Read the Jewish News article in the January 16, 1959 issue on the purpose of the presentation here.

Thanks to Sid Agranoff for the research.

- Sorry to Report - Danny Rosing

Sorry to Report - Danny Rosing

Danny Rosing pased away.on August 1st, 2023 in Israel.
Condolences to Danny's family and Peter Keeda and family, Danny's brother in law.

Danny's obituary has been added (September 27, 2023), written by Sid Agranoff and Peter Keeda.

The obituary and condolences can be seen here.
.

- The Nascence of a Composer

The Nascence of a Composer

Sid Agranoff exposes the name of the composer who wrote the FIRST opera ever staged at the Sydney Opera House on the 25th July, 1973. It was Larry Sitsky. Read the article here.

- Honours for Ruth Marshal

Honours for Ruth Marshal

In the King’s Birthday Honours announced last Monday, Ruth Marshall was awarded an AO “for distinguished service to rehabilitation medicine, particularly to people living with spinal cord injury or disorder, as a leader, mentor and clinician”. She is the medical director of the South Australia Spinal Cord Injury Service and Consultant in Charge, of Spinal Cord Injury at Royal Adelaide Hospital. She is also a clinical professor at the University of Adelaide Medical School.
Ruth was one of the younger Betarim during my time and was one of my chanichim for a while. She joined Betar around 1958 and was still an active member, together with her sister Susan, when I left Betar in 1966.
She had a baby brother, Warren, who had the distinction of sitting on Menachem Begin’s lap as a baby at a Betar meeting in Sydney when Begin visited Australia in 1963.
Read the Australian Jewish News article.
- Sid Agranoff

- Sorry to Report: Perla Feder

Sorry to Report: Perla Feder

With much sorrow we must report that Pearla Feder passed away in Israel last week. Our condolences to Shim and family. Reported by Susan Aufgang.

- Betar China: The Impact of a Remote Jewish Youth Movement, 1929-1949

Link to document forwarded by Danny Rosing.

Detailed acticle, written by
Yitzhak Shichor, PhD, London School of Economics and Political Science and professor emeritus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, outlines the influence Betar had in China in the period 1929-1949. Mentioned in the article are some Betar members who had a profound influence in the establishment of Betar Australia.

From Danny:
Bob [Shteinman] was only one of many Betarim from China who restarted Betar in Sydney in the early 1950's.
Hans Dreyer was Mefaked Machoz Sydney (after same in Shanghai) before Bob but among the Chinese Betarim there were also Larry Sitsky, Alex Auswaks, Jesse Trantegerz, Gershon Mosesson. Chanichim Mary Gershberg and Irene Saraginsky and later children of also joined, including Sid Agranoff, Leo Rogovin, Larry Levin, Leo Goorevich, David Leymanstein and Norman Sarajinski.

I am sure I have also forgotten some. - Danny.

Download here (500 mb pdf).

See also http://162smilingfaces.com/2018_Bulletin.html  article 2018-04.

- Rememberances of Henry Burstyner

Rememberances of Henry Burstyner

Following the consecration of his tombstone, a gathering was held at David Burstyner's home to honor Henry on January 8, 2023. Go here to read/view a couple of the contributions made by his lifelong friends John Goldlust and Harry Stuart. As John characterized it, Henry was 'the most unforgetable character I ever met'.

- Sorry to Report: Diana Rozenman (updated Oct. 20, 2022)

Sorry to Report: Diana Rozenman  (updated Oct. 20, 2022)

Diana Rozenman, or as many of us knew her, Diana Minky Fabian, passed away on April 7, 2022 in Sydney. More details as they become available. Reported by Michael Price.

Diana's obituary was published in the Australian Jewish News on October 20, 2022. It can be seen here. Thanks to Evie Katz and Sid Agranoff for forwarding

- Passing Revealed

Passing Revealed

Sid Agranoff reports that Leonie Costa (known in her youth  as Leonie Schultz) has passed away in Israel. More details when reported.

- Video Selection revamped

Video Selection revamped

To read about the background of all videos made (ranging from 1954 onwards), first click Videos on the menu bar. For direct access to the Celebration videos, see the list further down this home page.

- Search Facility improved

Search Facility improved

The search facility bypassed names in the Bulletin pages. This has now been corrected so that a search will find all the pages that mentions individuals.

- Check out Bulletin Board's prior years

Check out Bulletin Board's prior years

Click on the buttons below to review events from 2002 through 2021.

A word from the Webmaster
A word from the Webmaster Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Our site, which began in 2002, tracks the lives of many of the people who were members of Betar in Australia starting from 1948.

Following the publication of the then current technology of the Betar history CD-ROM in 2000, and with the editorial help of Aaron Ninedek and John Goldlust, I published this website then named "Still Friends after 50 Years" and which morphed into "Still Friends after 60 Years" and now "Still Friends after 70 Years". Hopefully we can make it to the next increment.

Now, as the years go on, sadly our bulletins are filled with the passings of the generations. But the earlier times are still visible in the photographic and videographic records of happier days - reconnections with our friends in many different places, news of honors bestowed to many for the services they performed for their countries, and the ability to look up past friendships.

Many people, including me, were concerned with the longevity of the site after I 'retire'. We can all be encouraged by the solution I came up with and, with the help of many concerned, the funds were raised to continue the life of the site a couple of decades - or more - into the future. My daughter will be the conservator of the site. However there will be no updates past a certain point.

The plan is that the contents of the site will be available for scholars and other generations to access the history of a segment of Australian Jewish youth.

Harry M. Stuart
Webmaster
Betari since 1952

© 2002-2025 Harry M. Stuart
All articles, images, videos on this site are copyrighted.
Permission to reproduce materials contained on this site must first be obtained
in writing from the  webmaster.

Bulletin Board 2022-2025

- Shortcuts to Celebration Videos

To view the background of any video before playing, click Video and scroll down the list of all videos spanning from 1954 through the present.

                
                                     Direct link

#25 Peter Keeda                 https://vimeo.com/user15972226

#24 Ron Isaacs                         https://vimeo.com/729806314

#23 Les Berger                         https://vimeo.com/717258688

#22 Dov Rosenfeld                   https://vimeo.com/697864330

#21 Henry Ben Ezra
                https://vimeo.com/684557007

#20 Ian Groden                          https://vimeo.com/670729504

#19 Harry Stuart                         https://vimeo.com/658267471

#18 Geoff Williamson                https://vimeo.com/642671348

#17John-Ziegler  https://vimeo.com/617883571/bc87d28c33

#16: Miriam  Briggs                   https://vimeo.com/595318652

#15: Ed Adamek                       https://vimeo.com/579033694

#14: Sid Agranoff                       https://vimeo.com/571509090

#13: Danny Rosing (Part 2]        ttps://vimeo.com/552750006

#12: David Golomb                   https://vimeo.com/540515954

#11: Lionel Bomzon
https://vimeo.com/537205921/6dee5dc6bb

#10: Adam Graycar                   https://vimeo.com/530212673

#09: David Layman                     ttps://vimeo.com/527175314

#08: Michael Price (Part 2)         ttps://vimeo.com/515077393

#07: Michael Price (Part 1 )        ttps://vimeo.com/505849359

#06: Elizabeth Kornhaber           ttps://vimeo.com/510065593

#05: Roland Gridiger                https://vimeo.com/478316530

#04: Danny Rosing (Part 1]        ttps://vimeo.com/464835862

#03: Judy Behar                         https://vimeo.com/454272251

#02: Zvi Berkovic                       https://vimeo.com/517009680

- Shortcuts to Downloadable Content

There are many volumes of downloadable items which can be accessed on this site. Here are the direct links to those data for ease of access - listed in chronological order of the addition to the site. All files are PDFs and require Adobe Acrobat to be opened.

1.
The Evolution of a Zionist Movement (1948-56) - Shimshon Feder & Jack Mirjam (147 pp)

2. Survivors and 1967 Volunteers Get Together in Israel - Peter Keeda (5 pp)

3. My Story - Lily Skall (117 pp)

4. A Different Silence: The Survival Of More Than 200,000 Polish Jews In The Soviet Union During World War II As A Case Study In Cultural Amnesia - John Goldlust (48 pp)

5. 40 Years Betar 1964 - Halapid (16 pp)

6. 50 Years Betar - Program (44 pp)

7. 60 Years Betar - Program (10 pp)

8. 80 Years Betar - Program (36 pp)

9. 8th Kenes Artzi - 1960 Sydney (24 pp)

10. 10th Kenes Artzi - 1962 Sydney (29 pp)

11. 12th Kenes Artzi - 1964 Sydney (21 pp)

12. Rinse the Blood off my Kafia - Script (6 pp)

13. Altalena March 1964 - Jabotinsky Remains to Israel (17 pp)

14. My life as an Artist - Jack Mirjam (311 pp)

15. Another Reunion in Rosh Pinah - Peter Keeda (4 pp)

16. The Rare Film that Uncovered the Story of a Family that was Obliterated - Lionel Bomzon (3 pp)        

17. Melbourne Betar Reunion 1988 - Organizing Papers (10 pp)

18. Really Trivial Pursuit - Spouse Edition (1988) - (3 pp)

19. Whatever Happened to Emmanuel? - Peter Keeda (31 pp)  

20. Tales from Old Harbin - Sid Agranoff (2 pp)            

21. A Short History of Harbin and Tientsin Jewry (6 pp)   

22. Historic letter from Betar Harbin China (1938) (1 pp)    

23. Henry Reminiscences - our memories

24. Betar China_ The Impact of a Remote Jewish Youth Movement, 1929-1949 (43 pp)                                                                                                           

See the shortcuts to current videos and downloadable content below.
Click to view previous years' bulletins...

Still Friends' 24th Year