Name: Sid Agranoff
Married to: Sylvia.
Where I live: East Killara, in Sydney’s North Shore.
I was born in Paddington in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs and lived there for 19 years, then moved to North Bondi where I lived till I got married in 1975, then moved to my current address.
Occupation: Retired Analytical Chemist. Currently teaching Excel and Desktop Publishing using Word to seniors on a voluntary basis.
Education: Bachelor of Science at Sydney Uni.
Betar History: I originally attended Habonim for a few weeks, but I felt left out and people were unfriendly. I then went to Betar (1954) because my brother was a former Betari in China. The first thing that happened was that Vernon Kronenberg went out of his way to shake my hand, introduce himself, and welcome me. I immediately felt at home and I stayed for the next 12 years.
In 1956 I was invited to join a newly formed B’nei Etzel by Bob Sitsky. Betar had moved then to Wolsely Rd Point Piper in an old mansion originally occupied by the YMHA. Danny Rosing took the group. Present at that first meeting were three new girls, Heather Cohen, Stephanie Singer and Naomi Kessler.
Camps: Too numerous to list here. To my regret, I missed the 1954 Kinglake West Camp at which the famous 162 smiling faces photo was taken. My first camp was the 1955 camp at Woronora. My most enjoyable camp was the 1958 camp at Woori Yallock where I first met the Melbourne Betarim. The next most memorable camp was of course the 1960 camp at Narrabeen which saw the birth of the next group of Betarim and forged friendships that are strong today, as evidenced by the Sydney breakfast group and this website.
Positions Held: My first area of responsibility given me by Danny Rosing was to clean and fill the camp lanterns every day at camp after they had been used the previous night. From there I was promoted to storeman. Eventually I became treasurer (Gisbar) of Machoz Sydney and in the last year of my tenure in Betar, Gisbar of Betar Australia under Henry Bishopverder. I was also madrich at Allawah, Coogee and Edgecliff.
My Madrichim My first madrich at 18 Lang Rd Centennial Park was Brian Addess (z/l), then as I mentioned, Danny Rosing at Point Piper. That was pretty well it, Larry Sitsky was Mefaked Machoz Sydney when I first joined, followed by Danny when Larry left to pursue his career in Music, then Ian Groden, then Alf van der Poorten (z/l) then Leo Rogovin, I think, and then I left Betar.
Some of my Contemporaries: Peter Wagner, Bob Sitsky, Ian Groden, Naomi Kessler, Henry Briggs, Miriam Deston.
Later, Helen Meyer, Alf van der Poorten , Clive Kessler, Peter Cohen, Henry Bishopverder, John Ziegler, Ina Klein, Renee Klein, Shula Rosenfeld, Dov Rosenfeld, Ari Grajcar, Jan Poddebsky, Les Berger, Diana (Minky) Fabian.
Those I see now: Essentially, those at the breakfast group. Peter Cohen (Keeda), Keith Masnick, Les Reese, Norman Sarajinsky, Richard Sekel, Judy Kovendi (Bahar), Geoff Williamson, Liz Schneider (Kornhaber), Jan Poddebsky, Eddie Adamek.

Anecdotes: See my stories in a separate section of this website. Regarding Larry Sitsky at the Betar Revue (1957). I saw Larry a couple of years ago in Canberra at a Betar reunion, and I am pleased to report that he has now forgiven me for what happened there.
Interests: I still teach computers to Seniors on a voluntary basis. My focus there is to teach Excel and Desktop Publishing using Word. I also belong to a Walking group, but because of my commitments to my grand daughter and to the computer group, my opportunities to go on walks with the group are now limited.
THEN......
...AND NOW.
Sid Agranoff
Contributed: 2004; Updated 2015