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history
The history of
Betar, just like
the genealogy of
a family, a
legacy unto
itself. The men
and women whose
unabashed Jewish
pride and
unwavering
devotion to that
one ideal, a
free Jewish
people in a free
Jewish state,
put Betar in the
forefront of the
creation of the
state of Israel.
The history that
follows seeks to
familiarize you
with such people
as our great
mentor, Ze'ev
Jabotinsky. His
faith in Jewish
youth gave way
to the birth of
Betar. You will
read about When
Shlomo Ben-Yosef,
to whom concept
of Hadar is
closely
associated. The
young Polish
born Betari who
met his tragic
end an the
British Gallows.
His only crime
was defending
Jewish rights
and honor.
You will read
about Dov Gruner,
Avraham Stavsky,
Aaron Propes,
and countless
other young
Betarim whose
heroic actions
paved the way
for Jewish
Statehood.
You will read of
such historic
events as the
first, second,
and third World
Betar
conventions and
the pervasive
expansion of
Betar throughout
Europe.
You will read of
unprecedented
achievements
such as the
Betar Naval and
Aviation
schools, of
Hachshara camps
to train Betarim
for pioneer duty
in Palestine, of
the Plugat
Hakotel - The
Platoon of the
Wall, of the
Aliyah Bet - the
mass immigration
to of Jews to
the nearly
established
State of Israel,
and of partisan
warfare - all of
which are
integral
components in
the rich and
glorious history
of the movement
which we are so
proud to belong.
All the fore
mentioned heroes
and heroines
have been, are,
and will be in
the hearts and
minds of Betarim
today and for
generations to
come.
History Of
Betar By Aaron Z
Propes - The
First Betari
The first
evening, Riga,
November 1923. a
cold autumn
night. The
leaders of the
Zionist
Organization in
little Latvia
are still
discussing the
advisability of
greeting
Jabotinsky
officially.
After all, he
had just
resigned from
the Zionist
Organization and
was now the
opposition. They
have sufficient
time for
discussion, for
the first
announcement had
declared the
hour of his
arrival to be
midnight and now
we learn that we
may expect him
at five o'clock
in the morning.
And we, several
young fellows,
we wait too.
This is not
simply because
we are eager.
After all, Riga
was honored very
often by visits
of prominent
Zionist
personalities
and until that
night, none of
us would have
dreamt of
sitting up and
waiting an
entire night fir
a guest. This
time, however,
we do wait as
though we had
foreboding.
Sitting upon a
long table in
the corridor of
the office of
the Zionist
Organization, we
tell each other
all we know of
him. It soon
becomes obvious
that we actually
know very
little: Legion
(the first
jewish fighting
force in 2000
years), Jewish
self-defense in
Palestine, 15
years
imprisonment in
Akko, and that
is all. And with
that, our entire
story, as we
narrate it,
assumes the
following
pattern:
The English
government
approached
Jabotinsky with
the request that
he create a
Jewish legion.
This Jabotinsky
did; put himself
at its head and
then, after a
series of
battles,
liberated Eretz
Israel from the
Turks. Just so,
simple, naive -
England
requested...
Or: The Arab
riots against
Jews break out.
At night
Jabotinsky opens
the ammunition
supplies,
distributes arms
to the Jews and
delivers
Jerusalem from
the Arabs. For
this he is
arrested and
sentenced yo 15
years penal
servitude.
We were very
vague as to just
how he was freed
from prison. One
claimed that
Jabotinsky
escaped from
there with the
aid of his
legionnaires.
Another
maintained that
Palestine Jewry
make a
pilgrimage to
Akko in whose
dungeons
Jabotinsky sat
and declared
they would not
leave the city
until their hero
was turned
loose, a free
man. Of course,
other
explanations,
products of
young phantasy
were not
lacking.
Finally, in the
early morning
hours, the
Zionists decide
to greet
Jabotinsky, but
not officially.
All of us go to
the station, all
of us - barely a
minyan.
It is cold and
drizzling. The
city sleeps
well, snugly,
complacently.
The Jews, the
Jewish youth
sleep too. We
stand upon the
platform of the
station. In
several minutes
the train comes
in and with it
our guest. His
greeting,
"Shalom!" comes
shouting out of
the window at
us, and in a few
minutes he
marches out of
the carriage
with firm,
steady, youthful
steps. We look
upon him for the
first time. An
obscure feeling
overwhelms us,
an internal
restlessness
grips us, and a
question is left
hanging in the
air, "Is this
all?"
In our phantasy,
we picture that
any moment now
several thousand
Jewish
Legionnaires,
proud and
fortunate
because of the
mission which
they fulfilled,
would pop out of
the carriage
after him and
carry us
away.And then
again, perhaps
he did not step
out of the
carriage, but
really out of
the goal. By
goal we meant
not only Akko,
but that
miserable
dungeon called
the Galut. Has
he come to
redeem us?
Youth knows how
to dream
beautifully.
Several hours
later the dream
became the
beginning of a
new reality. He
called and spoke
to us. And we?
That early
morning, we
yielded our
souls to him:
hopes, beliefs,
everything a
youth possesses.
And thus ended
the most
beautiful night
of our
generation. And
we faced that
G-d blessed
dawn, the dawn
that saw the
creation of
B'rith
Trumpeldor.
Since that night
and early
morning, how
many happy
nights were
spent with him.
These cannot be
spoken of,
cannot be
written down.
Months, many
months, often
years of bitter
battles, of
tremendous
obstacles,
persecutions,
and calumny
passed until we
saw him again.
At the first few
meetings, all
this would be
forgotten,
disappear into
obscurity, be
erased from our
memory. No, even
before the
meeting, at the
announcement
that he was
coming, all this
vanished.
Seeing the Rosh
Betar, hearing
him, sensing him
in our presence,
feeling his eyes
glancing at you,
the smile upon
his lips, even
when you were
one among the
hundreds, all
this can be
understood only
by him who has
lived through
these
experiences.
Those Moments.
A year consists
of days and
nights, our
lives of a
definite number
of years, as
many as fate
destines us to
have. In our
generation all
the days and
nights have been
combined into
one heavy mass,
gloomy, bitter,
bloody, just
like our Jewish
lives for the
past 20 years.
But for those
who were
fortunate enough
to know him,
those lovely
evening and
nights, the
minutes and even
seconds spent
with him were
able to swim
away and
separate from
the mass. No
matter how
difficult the
future will
prove to be, no
matter what
obstacles lie on
our road to
freedom, those
moments with him
are sufficient
to carry us
along through
the raging
storm.
Those evenings
and nights...
How many were
there? How could
we count them?
Can happiness be
counted?
Happiness can
appear but once,
and yet
demonstrate its
ability to fill
an entire
lifetime.
When? When you
need him most,
when your heart
pines and yearns
for him.
Where? In every
spot where
Jewish distress
wept and moaned,
where the
agonies of the
Galut were
mightiest, where
the hopes of
being drained
and had almost
vanished. In the
very midst of
that distress
and hope stood
his youth. Hence
it was there
that he was an
often guest,
beloved,
anxiously-awaited,
worshipped. And
thus he
remained.
Those evening
and nights, when
he would come to
us, live with
us, the face of
the entire world
differed, and
primarily, we
ourselves
altered too. He
brought such
wealth into our
poverty, the
poverty of
Jewish life. In
all aspects, he
differed from
those about him.
He made no
attempt to
understand us,
but worried that
we understand
him. We would
watch his every
move, word, and
smile. We
memorized his
statements and
addresses,
repeating them a
thousand times.
When he was
satisfied, we
were serenely
happy. Thirstily
we dragged
ourselves toward
him. He sensed
this, and gave
us so much, more
and more of his
thoughts,
feelings, and
love, especially
in recent years.
In those
evenings he
would rest among
us, his youth,
his children.
And since words
always failed us
when he was
near, we
expresses our
innermost in
song, his songs.
He often
requested that
we repeat one.
In his presence
it was all too
easy to sing.
His head bent
slightly,
leaning upon his
fists, He would
sit in thought
and listen,
listen to us
sing, with the
words of such
song, his song.
An evening and a
night of one of
his children,
one of us,
Shlomo Ben
Yosef, ended -
ended with the
words of a song
and the name of
its composer,
the composer not
only of a song,
but of Jewry's
most beautiful
symphony -
Betar.
Search For
Youth.
In one of those
evenings, he
wanted to
persuade us that
sought an entire
lifetime for a
youth which he
hoped Betar
would bring, a
youth that
believed in one
G-d, and
knighthood, a
youth prepared
to battle and
sacrifice its
life for those
ideals which it
considers
sacred. A youth
proud of its
Jewishness,
satisfied and
happy that it
carries on its
shoulders the
great
humanitarian
battle for
freedom.
However, we knew
and felt that
generations of
young Jews had
waited for
someone like him
to appear, teach
and lead them.
Many, a great
many, blundered
in their search,
some inscribed
their names in
our history as
sacred martyrs
instead of
perishing like
heros. And the
largest part
aged and
disappeared
without having
lived as
youth... without
leaving behind a
memory.
Those evenings
and nights...
We thought it
would always be
thus. Had not
G-d performed
one of his rare
wonders and sent
him to us. Why
not this miracle
too? We accepted
this as an
exceptional,
great gift from
the almighty.
Thus we
believed.
We thought, can
a well become
dry? Can a song
end? Intoxicated
with love, we
drank from that
well and
demanded more.
Happily did we
listen to his
song and
believed that it
would never be
silence, that
its ring would
never be dumb,
that its tenor
never be torn
away.
* * * * *
That evening,
that night.
For weeks we had
been awaiting
him. On his last
visit, he had
promised to
return to camp
soon. He kept
his word, as
always.
The Betarim
stood in a long
line turned
toward the
direction from
which he was to
appear.
According to our
calculations,
the auto should
have been in the
camp. Evidently
we were
mistaken, but
that evening, we
were not alone,
for the Master
of the Universe
also erred.
It gets darker.
We postpone the
evening Misdar
until he
arrives. The
flags are still
waving high even
though the sun
had practically
set and they
wave in
anticipation of
greeting our
guest.
It gets still
darker. Autos
pass our road
with their
lights on.
Finally, he has
arrived. The
order "Dom"
echoes and
re-echoes over
the hill tops.
The Betarim are
ready to receive
their Rosh
Betar. Their
hearts beat
quicker and
quicker.
He passes the
line slowly,
peers into the
face of every
Betari as if he
wanted to
remember every
one, or as
though he sought
someone amongst
them.
It is very dark.
We illuminate
the ranks with
flash lights, so
the Rosh Betar
may see his
children better.
The misdar is
over. With slow
steps he walks
up the single
flight to his
room. He does
not feel well
but says nothing
about it.
The Betarim
stand in
formation in the
field, prepared
for the evening
Misdar. Their
prayers said,
they lower the
flags. The Rosh
Betar sits in
his room sunk in
a deep chair,
suffering from
severe pains.
The heart attack
has developed,
but he still
does not want to
upset anyone.
The flags have
been lowered,
the young
Betarim are in
their bunks, the
older ones wait
for the Rosh
Betar to come
down. And the
sun, not wanting
to witness that
which will soon
occur, had
previously
hidden behind
the mountains.
Two doctors at
his bedside. Of
his nearest
associates, some
around him,
others are in
the neighboring
room. Downstairs
the older
Betarim stand
frozen with
fear."Leave me
alone for five
minutes, I want
to rest," he
requests.
We did not hear
more. Then began
the injections,
artificial
respiration, and
prayers - silent
prayers from all
of us to the
almighty. Such
pure prayers as
these from the
depths of our
souls, the
almighty has
never heard
before.
The night
swallowed the
evening too.
* * * * *
Candles at his
head. An honor
guard of
Betarim. Someone
is reciting
Psalms.
Something
horrible has
happened. We do
not understand
what, we cannot
realize it yet.
This night, too,
we shall not
forget.
What
differentiated
that night from
other nights?
Perhaps that
night was the
holiest. That
night he met
eternity and
became himself a
part of
eternity.
My Rosh Betar...
This night
passed. The
morning Misdar.
Last evening the
final Misdar
with him, today
the last for
him.
Why do our
hearts hurt so?
Did it have to
happen so
quickly, so
early?
Tel 'Hai, Rosh
Betar.
Only one who has
warmed himself
in the happiness
and fortune of
those evenings
and nights spent
with him can
understand our
pain and agony
in the first
night without
him.
Those evenings
and nights...
We thought it
would be thus
always. And
today we know
that we were not
mistaken. His
song will ring
eternally, his
name will call
eternally.
My Rosh Betar.
The Birth Of
Betar
It
was two years
after the
massacres of
1921, one year
after the first
partition of
Eretz Israel,
and just three
years after the
death of
trumpeldor at
Tel Hai - the
winter of 1923.
Ze'ev Vladimir
Evonovitch
Jabotinsky, in
the course of a
lecture tour of
Eastern Europe,
visited Riga,
Latvia. The
founder of the
Jewish Self
Defense Corps in
Czarist Russia,
the organizer of
the Jewish
Legion in World
War I, and the
first Jewish
Prisoner of
Akko, urged the
adoption by the
Zionists of an
activist
program. He
called for mass
immigration to
Eretz Israel and
to the Jewish
youth to "learn
to shoot."
Shortly after
Jabotinsky left
Riga, several
Jewish students
who were
inspired by his
talks organized
themselves into
the "Association
of Trumpeldor."
They dedicated
themselves to
the formation of
a new Jewish
Legion which
would conquer
all of Eretz
Israel. A local
youth name Aaron
Propes was
elected
President of the
organization. An
idea, a
principal that
was destined to
take the mind of
Jewry by storm,
and fire the
imagination of
Jewish youth as
nothing had ever
fired it before
gave birth to
Betar. The
principal was
very simple, yet
revolutionary:
The
subordination of
everything to
the realization
of the Zionist
ideal - a Jewish
State within its
historical
boundaries.
While Betar
proceeded to
extend its
influence
throughout
Latvia,
Jabotinsky went
to paris, where,
in 1924, he
established the
World Union of
Zionist
Revisionists as
an opposition
party to the
World Zionist
movement.
Meanwhile, back
in Riga, at the
third
territorial
conference of
the Association
of Trumpeldor,
the delegates
decided to
propose to the
Revisionist
party that they
announce the
formation of a
world youth
movement called
B'rith
Trumpeldor. The
idea was to make
B'rith
Trumpeldor the
official
Revisionist
youth
organization.
Earlier that
year, The second
Revisionist
world conference
in Paris heard
Aaron Propes
present the
Betar
resolution. It
was accepted
enthusiastically.
In the following
three years,
Betar took root
in Austria,
Poland, Rumania,
Czechoslovakia,
Hungary,
Lithuania,
Germany, France,
and Eretz
Israel. The
central
committee of
B'rith
Trumpeldor in
Latvia served as
headquarters of
World B'rith
Trumpeldor.
The Defense of
Jerusalem
Long before that
fateful August
of 1929, every
sign had been
pointing to
trouble. Sir
John Chancellor
had been
appointed High
Commissioner of
Palestine. He
did not like the
Jews, and made
up his mind that
his rule should
bring the
British Mandate
to establish a
Jewish homeland
in Palestine a
step nearer
destruction.
Chancellor built
up and
cautiously and
spread the
inflammable
rumor that the
Jews were
planning to tear
down the Mosque
of Omar in
Jerusalem and
rebuild
Solomon's Temple
on its site. His
officials
persuaded the
Arabs to claim
ownership of the
Wailing Wall -
over which
Jewish rights
had been
undisputed for
centuries.
The Arabs had
their approval
from the
Palestine
Administration
and began to
systematically
persecute the
Jewish
worshipers at
the wall. Stones
were thrown at
them. The
pavement in
front of the
wall was
deliberately
covered with
droppings from
the Arabs'
donkeys during
the Shabbat
services.
Dervishes opened
up business in
the garden next
door and made a
point of
reserving their
dances,
ear-splitting
shrieking and
drumming for the
hours of Jewish
worship.
Finally, the
sacrilegious
British
administration
built a road
through the
wailing wall
itself to
provide the
Arabs with a
shortcut to the
Mosque of Omar.
Insolent Arabs
now drove their
donkeys in a
never ending
stream through
the holy place
that has been
sacred to Jewish
worshipers from
time immemorial.
On Yom Kippur,
the Day of
Atonement,
religious Jews
placed a
portable screen
at the wall to
protect
themselves from
interference
during the
services. As
soon as the
Governor of
Jerusalem heard
of this, he sent
an officer to
remove the
screen
immediately. The
worshipers were
reciting N'ilah,
the closing
service, when
the officer
arrived. Acting
the complete
English
gentleman, he
broke violently
into the midst
of the service
and took the
screen away. The
high
commissioner
conveniently
left on a visit
to London.
The British
authorities
disarmed the
Jewish settlers
completely even
though they knew
that the Arabs
had fixed August
23, 1929 as Der
Tag. With
unbelievable
savagery, the
police broke up
a procession of
Jewish mourners
who were
carrying a
coffin of a
seventeen year
old boy stabbed
to death by
rioters. The
Arabs took their
cue. From every
corner of
Palestine, Arabs
swarmed into
Jerusalem armed
with guns,
knives, and
clubs - the old
war cry was on
their lips: El
Daula Manna...
The Government
is with us.
The
administration
and the police
did nothing.
Martial law was
not proclaimed.
The pogromists
were not
disarmed. Jews
were murdered
under the eyes
of the British
Officials who
were watching
from the balcony
of the
Government
House. The
Acting High
Commissioner
cold bloodily
informed the
Zionist
deputation that
went to beg for
help that he had
been "given
orders not to
shoot."
At that point,
Betar took over.
Betar uncovered
its long
concealed stores
of arms and
clubs and went
out to defend
Jerusalem. A
group of
visiting Oxford
students did
their best to
redeem the good
name of England
by ranging
themselves at
Betar's side.
Within
twenty-four
hours, peace
returned to the
Holy City. The
Arabs fled in
confusion, and
focussed their
attention to the
disarmed
colonies far
outside
Jerusalem. The
Palestine
Administration
of course
avenged their
defeat by
charging the
defenders of
Jerusalem with
illegal
possession of
arms and the
"murder" of
Arabs.
But the plot to
convert
Jerusalem into a
mass graveyard
for Jews had
been frustrated.
Betar had
stamped out the
long prepared
massacre in the
enemy's blood,
and had saved
the honor of the
Yishuv in the
"Baptism of
Fire."
Since that date
in 1929, and
until 1946, when
the Irgun took
over the
responsibility,
Betar's Plugat
HaKotel, the
Platoon of the
Wall, defended
the Wailing Wall
and made it safe
for Jews to
worship at the
remains of our
ancient Holy
Temple.
Because of
Betar's brave
and noble task,
the State of
Israel gave the
building that
housed the
Betarim who
defended the
worshipers to
Betar. Today,
Bet Plugat
Hakotel is the
Betar house in
the Old City of
Jerusalem - a
living testimony
the vital role
Betar played in
the
establishment of
the State of
Israel.
 Trumpeldor By
By Ephraim Ben
Israel
Ze'ev
Jabotinsky and
Joseph
Trumpeldor each
knew the others
heroical deeds
before they met
and formed the
Jewish Legion.
Trumpeldor was
born in the
Caucasus in the
year 1880.
Despite his not
being allowed to
attend a
university
because he was
Jewish,
Trumpeldor
managed to
become a
dentist. He then
served in the
Czarist army
during the
Russo-Japanese
war of 1905.
Trumpeldor's
regiment was
sent to Port
Arthur, and
there he lived
through eleven
terrible months
of siege. In a
fierce battle,
he lost his left
arm, Almost to
the shoulder,
but kept
fighting while
injured and in
pain. No sooner
had he come out
of the hospital
than he demanded
to be sent back
to the front, He
knew he had a
mission to
accomplish, and
insisted showing
the Russian
generals that
Jews are strong
and do not give
up. Everyone in
the Russian army
knew of
Trumpeldor's
bravery. He was
an inspiration
to all those
around him.
After the fall
of Port Arthur,
Trumpeldor was
taken prisoner
by the Japanese
forces, together
with the rest of
General
Stoessel's army.
He spent many
months in a
prisoner of war
camp with
deplorable
conditions, but
kept his spirits
up because he
came to the
realization of
the most
important thing
he had to do -
transform the
Jewish people
from oppression
to a strong
nation. He then,
while In
captivity,
organized
Zionist
societies and
collected money
for the Jewish
National Fund.
After the war he
was granted a
reserve officers
rank, and until
1917 he was,
with the rank of
Captain, the
only Jewish
officer in the
Russian Army. He
then entered the
University of
St, Petersburg,
completed his
law studies, and
immediately left
for Eretz
Israel. There he
worked in
Degania and
other
settlements, not
as an attorney
as he was
trained, but
rather doing any
job that had to
be done. All the
other settlers
agreed that with
his one arm he
was yet the
strongest and
the best of the
agricultural
workers.
Later he worked
with Jabotinsky
to form the Zion
Mule Corps of
the British
Army. Formed in
April, 1915,
this was the
first Jewish
army in nearly
two thousand
years. The Zion
Mule Corps was
led by
Lieutenant
Commander John
Henry Patterson
until he could
no longer serve.
At that point,
Trumpeldor
became the
officer in
charge. This
made him the
first Jew to
command a Jewish
army in two
thousand years.
Later this group
evolved into The
Jewish Legion.
Five years
later, at
Tel-'Hai,
Trumpeldor was
immortalized
with the words
'ein davar',
never mind.
Jabotinsky and
Trumpeldor
disagreed on the
importance of
the northern
region.
Jabotinsky felt
it was
impossible to
defend the
north.
Trumpeldor, on
the other hand,
felt it was
vital and took
the mission upon
himself.
As the leader of
a group of fifty
legionnaires, he
defended the
fortress of
Tel-'Hai in
northern Eretz
Israel against
an attack by
5000 Arabs.
Being the
northern most as
well as
virtually
inaccessible
outpost, it was
almost
impossible to
defend, and
Trumpeldor knew
it. He felt
strongly that
someone had to
defend the
northern
boundary. He
took the
challenge
himself because
he knew it had
to be done.
During the
battle to defend
northern Eretz
Israel from Arab
takeover, the
fortress fell
into siege.
Without any sign
of
reinforcements
on the way, the
residents of the
fortress
protected
themselves with
the limited
supplies they
had left.
They were
surrounded.
There was no way
to call for
help. They were
isolated from
the rest of the
yishuv. They
were alone in
their battle.
One night,
Trumpeldor found
a way to get one
person past the
surrounding
enclave, and was
able to send for
help. The
reinforcements
were on the way,
but did not
arrive in time
on that fateful
day.
Fighting with
only one arm, he
was known as the
strongest
fighter in the
fort. Wounded,
he remained in
battle. But even
that was not
enough. The
settlers
realized
Tel-'Hai was
about to fall.
Instead of
allowing the
fortress to be
captured by the
attacking Arabs,
they burned what
they could. Only
the stones
remained.
Trumpeldor was
taken to a
hospital. Then
his last words
were spoken.
'Tov le'mut
Be'artzanu' it
is good to die
for ones
country.
Trumpeldor is
regarded as a
hero of Israel
by all. His
vision and
fortitude
secured Israel's
northern
section.
Trumpeldor
influenced
Jabotinsky with
his strong
belief in
providing to the
Jewish people a
new idea.
Trumpeldor
stressed what
was needed of
jews, rather
than what a Jew
wanted for
himself. "If you
need a hammer, I
will be a
hammer, if you
need a nail, I
will be the
nail" he would
say. Jabotinsky
realized
Trumpeldor was
right, and in
his honor,
Jabotinsky named
Betar - B'rith
Yosef
Trumpeldor.
The First Kinus
At the first
Kinus, or
governing
convention, an
exceptional hush
fell over the
conference hall
as Jabotinsky
walked to the
platform. A sea
of eager eyes
turned up toward
him. This was
the moment they
had all been
waiting for -
those scores of
earnest young
men and women
who had traveled
to Danzig, many
of them came
from hundreds
and even
thousands of
miles away.
Everyone was
impressed to see
the Betar groups
from three
continents
welded into a
powerful
instrument for
Jewish national
liberation.
It had been
strange at first
in that
unfamiliar
Baltic city. The
delegates from
one country did
not know their
colleagues from
the next, and
the fact that
they all
belonged to an
organization
which was
loosely call
B'rith
Trumpeldor
seemed to help
little in
overcoming their
sense of
isolation. Each
delegation wore
its own taste of
uniforms. The
profusion of
shades, cuts,
and insignia of
rank made this
look like a
convention not
of a single
movement, but of
a whole galaxy
of movements.
But soon they
found how easily
people speaking
in the same
ideological
language can get
to understand
each other, and
how magnetically
an ideal shared
in common can
draw the most
divergent
spirits
together.
Complete
strangers were
thrown into a
melting pot of
committees and
secretariats,
and emerged as
life long
friends, bound
by ties
infinitely
stronger than
self-interest or
class
solidarity.
But now
Jabotinsky was
speaking. He
minced no words.
Like a stern
father reproving
his wayward
family, he told
the assembled
Betarim exactly
what he thought
of them for not
practicing what
they preached.
He told them
that every stage
of the
recognized Betar
training had to
be undergone
thoroughly,
whether or not
the material and
the instructors
were available.
There was simply
no excuse, he
said, for
neglecting our
education for
statehood,
because ways and
means could be
found to
overcome every
difficulty. "If
you haven't
hand-grenades
and targets you
can still learn
to throw stones
of a fixed
weight at a
point a fixed
distance away."
Then Jabotinsky
laid down the
four principals
by which Betar
must stand or
fall. The
principals that
were to take the
mind of European
Jewry by storm,
and fire the
imagination of
Jewish youth as
nothing had ever
fired it before.
MONISM - The
devotion to a
single ideal of
a Jewish state
on both sides of
the Jordan
river.
HADAR - The
abandonment of
the slovenly
habits adopted
in the ghetto,
and the adoption
of ways of
living that
would mark the
Jew out as the
aristocracy
among nations,
with the Betari
as the
aristocrat among
Jews.
LEGYON -
Military
training for the
defense of
Jewish life and
honor.
GIYUS - National
service in the
homeland without
thought of
personal gain.
Significantly,
Jabotinsky ended
with the demand
that each member
of Betar learn
Hebrew. "At our
next Kinus," he
warned them,
"only one
language will be
spoken. That
will be Hebrew."
The delegates
unanimously
elected
Jabotinsky as
Rosh Betar,
decided to
establish the
movements
headquarters in
Paris. They left
Danzig as
inspired
missionaries of
the faith that
was to save
100,000 of
Europe's
despairing
Jewish youth
from the worship
of false idols.
The Stavsky
Scandal
On friday, June
16, 1933, Chaim
Arlosoroff, the
Histadruth
leader, was
assassinated
while scrolling
on the beach of
Tel Aviv with
his wife.
Leading
personalties
declared that
the dying
Arlosoroff said
his assailants
were not Jews.
The socialist
press, however,
immediately
exploited the
occasion by
charging the
Revisionists
with the murder.
Captain Harry
Rice, Deputy
Inspector-General
of the Palestine
Police and
intimate friend
of Mrs.
Arlosoroff,
arrested a
Betari named
Stavsky, who was
promptly
identified by
Mrs. Arlosoroff
as one of the
murderers. The
three other
Betarim - Zvi
Rosenblatt,
Yehuda Mintz,
and Abba
Achimeir were
taken into
custody. Mrs.
Arlosoroff, with
equal promptness
identified them
as accomplices.
During
Achimeir's
trial, collusion
between the
police and the
witness was
proved. The
evidence was
shown to have
been
deliberately
falsified and
his release was
ordered by the
embarrassed
Government.
At Mintz's
trial, Mrs.
Arlosoroff was
caught in a
whirl of
self-contradiction.
Mrs. Arlosoroff
was accused by
the court of
lying and Mintz
was freed.
During
Rosenblatt's
trial, it was
established that
he, whom Mrs.
Arlosoroff has
branded as the
actual killer,
had been
addressing a
mass meeting in
a different city
at the time of
the murder. The
court acquitted
him.
On June 10th,
1934 the
government
condemned to
death the last
available
victim, Abraham
Stavsky. The
idiocy of the
verdict was at
once evident
from the fact
that Mrs.
Arlosoroff had
charged
Rosenblatt with
the killing and
Stavsky with
holding the
torch for him.
It was not
possible,
therefore, for
one to be guilty
without the
other, yet
Rosenblatt had
been cleared and
Stavsky
sentenced to
hang.
The chief Rabbi
of Palestine,
Hacohen Kook
declared his
belief in
Stavsky's
innocence. His
cable to world
Jewry said
"Strive with all
your might for
the triumph of
justice."
Jabotinsky,
Jacob De Hass,
Col. Wedgewoood,
and Horace
Samuel rallied
to Stavsky's
defence.
The case was
brought before
the Palestine
Court of Appeal
and Stavsky was
set free. The
Mizrachi issued
declarations of
satisfaction.
The Zionist
Organization of
America greeted
the acquittal.
On the other
hand, Hashomer
Hatzair, the
extremely
anti-religious
and socialist
youth
organization,
was so incensed
at the
development that
they stoned the
synagogue in
which Stavsky
was praying and
carried posters
condemning Rabbi
Kook - "Pity the
nation whose
priests protect
murderers."
After the
Stavsky case,
the Jewish
Agency,
controlled by
the Mapai,
intensified the
bitterness by
depriving Betar
of certificates
to enter
Palestine, thus
hindering
Betarim from
obtaining
employment. The
Jewish Agency
also
collaborated
with police in
deporting
Betarim who had
arrived in the
country without
visas, even
though many of
their own
members had
arrived the same
way. The Mapai
acted as if
Eretz Israel was
not the property
of the Jewish
Nation, but of a
special class.
The Histadruth
contemptuously
rejected the
Jabotinsky-Ben
Gurion pact
which had
endeavored to
restore peace to
the tortured
Yishuv. The
Stavsky scandal
and its
repercussions
eventually led
to the
establishment of
the New Zionist
Organization.
The Second Kinus
The second World
Kinus was help
in Cracow in
1935. Never
before had the
old Polish city
witnessed such
scenes. The
townsmen gaped
in bewilderment
at the thousands
upon thousands
of excited young
Jews who
thronged the
streets leading
to the
conference hall.
They came from
every corner of
Europe. It was
four years since
the first Kinus
in Danzig. There
had been fewer
of them then.
In danzig, they
were a self
conscious,
ill-sorted
crowd, making
conversation
awkwardly in all
the languages
and jargons of
the Galut. No
two countries
uniforms were
the same. But in
Cracow it was
possible to see
how those four
years had welded
Jabotinsky's
disciples into
one movement
that extended
across Europe.
The B'rith
Trumpeldor had
been tested in
an ordeal
greater than any
ordeal of hate,
slander,
starvation,
ostracism,
physical
violence, and
blood libel
combined. It had
survived the
ordeal, and from
the shadow of
strength had
emerged with an
intensity of
purpose and
inner strength
never equaled in
Jewish history
since the times
of Bar Kochba's
legions.
The Betarim
marched through
the resounding
streets of
Cracow.
Thousands of
them dressed in
the same
uniform, wearing
the same
insignia to
determine their
ranks, Walking
tall, looking
proud, and this
time speaking
one language -
Hebrew.
No longer was
there any
outward
differences
between them, no
longer could one
tell which
country a Betari
came from by the
uniform he wore
or the language
he spoke. They
were now an army
of brothers
united in
suffering and
martyrdom,
facing a hostile
world with a
defiant "Tel
Hai" on their
lips. On their
shoulders they
carried in
Abraham Stavsky,
now a free man,
who had come to
Cracow to gather
with Rosenblatt
as a delegate of
the Palestine
Betar.
Jabotinsky spoke
to them in a
packed hall.
Thousands
clamored for
entrance at the
door, unable to
find as much as
a foothold
within. The Rosh
Betar wore the
uniform of
Betar, just like
the one they are
were wearing.
But when they
saw him in it
for the first
time, his young
disciples burst
into a storm of
delirious
enthusiasm.
Jabotinsky had
aged somewhat
since those days
at Danzig. He
had suffered
with his
Betarim, and now
he looked down
at them with a
stern tenderness
in which there
was more than a
hint of awe.
What makes them
stay with me? He
wondered. L-rd,
haven't I given
them enough
pain,
heartbreak, and
suffering for
them never to
want to see me
again and to
take another
road that offers
more peace, more
prosperity, more
security? But
here they still
are - more than
ever before...
He put his
thoughts into
words. "Who can
understand this
phenomenon
called Betar?
There you are
stronger, more
resolute, even
more happy after
going through
immeasurable
suffering. They
promise you
everything -
certificates for
Palestine, money
for your
settlements,
praise without
limit. We
promise you only
pain and
hardship.
"The road that
leads into Betar
is very small
and narrow, but
the door for
those who want
to leave Betar
is big and
always wide
open. Yet
thousands and
still more pour
in through the
small door,
while only a few
slink rather
shamefully out
the big one."
He turned his
head and looked
straight at
Stavsky and
Rosenblatt: "You
will have to
suffer far more
than you have,
The bodies of
men like you
will have to
pave the way by
which our people
will cross into
their liberated
homeland."
The delegates
were more
excited now than
ever. Here,
standing before
them, and just
for them, the
Rosh Betar
spoke. Now their
mission was
clearer than
ever.
Two hundred and
sixteen official
delegates were
present at the
second World
Kinus,
representing
more than 60,000
organized
members. The
number of Maozim
by this time
numbered 689.
A burning
necessity
demonstrated by
the second Kinus
was a greater
Aliyah Bet -
Aliyah in the
face of British
opposition and
in spite of
Jewish Agency
interference.
In 1935, Rosh
Betar and the
Revisionist
movement came to
the conclusion
that there was
no hope of
changing the
policy of the
Jewish Agency.
They were
convinced that
Jewish patriots
should
themselves take
the offensive
without waiting
for the meek and
the timid. About
three-quarters
of a million
Jewish votes
gave Rosh Betar
the mandate. He
travelled to
Vienna, where,
On September 8,
1935, he
proclaimed the
fundamental
principals of
the New Zionist
Organization.
Shlomo Ben Yosef
 During
our long history
in the diaspora,
others shaped
destiny for us
as we, the
Jewish people,
produced many
martyrs. The
moment we took
our future in
our own hands
the names of
martyrs gave way
to the names of
heros. These
heroes were
simple men and
women, but their
names mark the
beginning of a
new era in our
history.
Shlomo Ben Yosef
in an example of
such a hero for
generations to
come. His name
became a symbol
for the Jewish
struggle for
liberation and
freedom. Yet he
did not die on a
battlefield, but
on the gallows
of Palestine -
the first Jew to
receive the
death sentence
in Eretz Israel
for nearly two
thousand years.
He was Born
Shalom Tabachnik
in the Polish
town of Lutzk in
1913. From his
father he
inherited his
modesty, his
quietness, his
stubborn will,
and his strong
character. As a
son of a very
poor family, the
conditions of
his childhood
were difficult,
but these
difficulties
helped
strengthen his
character. Even
as a child he
kept himself
back from the
general jokes of
his friends at
the cheder - the
Jewish religious
school. He was
always quiet,
dreaming, and
reserved.
His study days
were over soon
after his
Bar-Mitzvah. He
now had to help
support his poor
family and worry
about his
future. A period
of hard and
bitter work to
earn a living
set in as he
took positions
as a clerk, a
waiter, as well
as many others
to support his
family.
Betar
He joined Betar
Qen of Lutzk in
1928 and from
that moment his
life took on new
meaning. In
Betar he learned
how to love his
homeland, Eretz
Israel. There he
also learned to
dream of a new
life for himself
and his people.
He was taught
that he was not
a "Zhid", "a
poor dirty Jew"
- the epitaph
that had been
flung at Jewish
youth by the
gentiles till
they no longer
questioned or
even resented
it.
While working he
learned more
about the world
around him. He
saw how he, his
parents, and all
the other Jews
around him were
called Zhids. He
saw the torment
in the eyes for
fellow Jews. He
saw how the
Poles made
pogroms on them.
But most of all,
he saw something
better in his
heart.
That young heart
burned with
protest as his
young fists were
clenched in
sorrow. He
entered Betar
through an
instinctive
feeling and the
movement
enriched his
life.
Here he felt a
new spirit. He
studied the
history of the
Jewish nation.
He heard about
the Jewish
heroes of the
past. He found
out that Jews
were not always
enslaved,
insulted, and
oppressed. He
was taught that
he was not a
weakling who had
to be afraid of
all around him.
He learned that
he was the son
of kings, the
descendant of
prophets, and a
brother of the
Macabees. He
yearned to go to
Palestine where
there would be
no more Zhids,
but a free
nation in a free
"Kingdom of
Israel." And
here, in Qen
Lutzk, he
learned his
first Betar song
- The song which
he sang ten
years later with
so much courage
on the gallows
of Akko.
Hachshara
When his father
died in 1930,
the seventeen
year old boy
took it upon
himself to
support his
whole family.
Yet he never
missed an
evening in the
Qen, and he
became one of
the most active
of it's members.
When the Polish
Government gave
permission for a
military
Hachshara, he
was he first on
the drill field
to study the
"Torah of the
gun." He was
always the first
one, whether for
a hike or a
meeting. The
broad-shouldered
youth could be
seen everywhere,
a fiery glance
in his eyes -
always the first
one.
Everyone in the
Qen knew him -
from the
youngest Nesher,
lion, to the
oldest Mifaked,
officer, and he
in turn knew
everyone. When
anything had to
be done, from
the smallest
thing like
lighting of the
stove in the
Moadon, the
meeting place,
or distributing
of pamphlets
from town to
town, he could
be relied on to
volunteer his
services.
In 1931, a Betar
Hachshara was
founded in the
town of Kazhitz.
Shalom Tabachnik
left home,
despite the
difficulties
which faced his
family, and
arrived at
Hachshara. He
completed his
Hachshara and
returned to
Lutzk in 1932,
where he then
completed his
term of
Hachshara
Haganatit,
military
hachshara, and
took charge of
the Mazkirut
HaQen. He also
organized a
Plugat Aliyah,
an Aliyah
platoon, which
prepared to go
to Palestine.
Aliyah
At that time, no
certificates
were available
for Betarim to
go to Palestine.
Despite that
obstacle, he
joined a group
of "illegal
immigrants" and
without a penny
in his pockets
left for Eretz
Israel in August
1937. After
smuggling
himself across
borders and as
an "illegal"
immigrant aboard
a ship that
landed in
Beirut, Lebanon,
he climbed
aboard a Greek
fishing boat
heading south.
When he asked to
be taken
further, they
demanded money
from him. Having
none, they began
to quarrel and
he was cast
overboard. He
swam the stretch
of water and
finally, after
crossing the
Galilee hills,
arrived at
Naharia, thus
fulfilling his
life-long dream
to be in Eretz
Israel, and the
Betar group of
Rosh Pina.
The many months
he spent on the
way, and the
hardships which
he and many
others endured
has formed an
undying part of
Jewish Legend.
After he arrived
safely in Eretz
Israel, he
immediately
reported to the
Plugat Ha-Giyus,
the service
platoon for
Eretz Israel, at
the settlement
of Rosh Pina.
Here he began
cultivating the
fields of the
Galil.
Eretz Israel
He arrived in
the midst of bad
times in
palestine. For
two years, the
Arabs had been
rioting and
terrorizing the
Jewish
population.
Women and
children were
killed,
settlements were
raided, fields
were burned and
Jews were
attacked at
will. In the
face of all
this, Jewish
youth remained
silent.
But that did not
deter Shlomo Ben
Yosef, the
Hebrew name
Shalom Tabachnik
adopted and was
known by in
Eretz Israel. He
worked hard in
the fields to
help support the
Maon. When the
pogroms got bad,
he went to the
port of Haifa
were he worked
to send money
back to Rosh
Pina. It was
dangerous to
work in the open
fields and he
wanted to
guarantee his
fellow Betarim
would not go
hungry. When one
days work in the
Galilee would
feed one person,
His single days
labor in the
ports would feed
twelve. Thus he
supported his
fellow Betarim,
and with the
extra money he
earned, he
purchased
weapons to
protect them
with.
The Jewish
leaders had
proclaimed the
policy of
Havlaga, self
restraint. This
was a policy the
British
Government not
only favored,
but encouraged.
The British did
not want to have
a Jewish
majority in
Palestine, else
they may loose
control of the
land. The Arabs
could therefore
attack whenever
they wished, but
the "Jews had to
prove that their
intentions were
peaceful."
The Palestine
Police and
Government were
"unable" to find
the Arab
terrorists who
would shoot
Jews, such as
Leiberman, the
young Betari
from Rosh Pina
who was murdered
while working in
the fields. At
the same time,
Jews could not
venture from one
city to another,
they were
hostages in
their own
homeland.
To Shlomo Ben
Yosef the way
was clear. If
the Government
would not police
this country,
the Jews would
protect
themselves.
The Shot
On April 21,
1938, news was
received that a
contingent of
Arab terrorists
was on its way
to attack Rosh
Pina, but the
report didn't
say when.
Preparations
were being made
in the near by
Arab village of
Djani. Open
preparations in
the Arab Village
proved more and
more evident of
an imminent
attack. Although
the were
exhausted from
working the
fields for
sixteen hour a
day and then
spent six hour a
night on guard
duty for months
at a time, they
knew they had to
do something.
They could not
just sit back
while fellow
Jews were about
to be murdered.
In desperation,
three of the
youngest Betarim
at Rosh Pina,
Abraham Shein,
Sholom Djuravin,
and Shlomo Ben
Yosef went out
on the Taberias
road. Perhaps
they may get
there before the
time of the
attack. Perhaps
they might
intercept the
Arab terrorists
in time. Perhaps
they might
frighten them
away.
A car
approaches. It
was an car
filled with
Arabs who did
not live in the
neighborhood.
The three young
men stepped out
into view to
stop the car
headed for Rosh
Pina.
These, thought
the youngsters,
must be the
terrorists. They
fired a single
shot in the air.
The Arabs gained
speed and within
a few seconds
vanished from
sight. Shein,
Djuravin, and
Ben Yosef then
waited until the
a Jewish bus had
safely passed,
and with elated
feelings that
they had
prevented a
tragedy,
returned to the
Betar Maon in
Rosh Pina. This
time the police
were not long in
arriving.
The first was a
Jewish policeman
who suggested
that Ben Yosef
throw away his
weapon. He
refused to do
this and within
a few minutes,
Shein, Djuravin,
and Ben Yosef
were led away in
chains to Akko
prison. They
were proud of
their actions.
They did not
resist.
The Trial
The trial opened
May 24, 1938. On
a very late
Friday
afternoon, June
3rd, with a face
as pale a
ghosts, the
President of the
Haifa Military
Court pronounced
the verdict.
Shalom Djuravin
was to be placed
under medical
observation,
Abraham Shein
and Shlomo Ben
Yosef were to
hang by the neck
until they were
dead.
The tense
electric silence
of the court
room was broken
by a dreadful
shriek from
Shein's sister.
She understood
no English, and
for ten days she
had been
listening - a
pitiful,
hopeless,
bewildered
creature - to
the evidence
that would
decide whether
her little
eighteen year
old brother -
now standing so
proudly in the
dock - was to
live or die.
This friday
afternoon, she
could see from
the see of
blurred faces
around her,
which it was to
be. She
collapsed in a
fit of
uncontrollable
sobbing.
In a voice that
stammered and
shook, a Jewish
interpreter
tired to read
out the verdict
in Hebrew. He
sat down,
overcome before
he got to the
end.
The prisoners
were led out.
Ben Yosef stood
up and shouted:
"It is good to
die for the
Jewish State on
both sides of
the Jordan" and
he went out with
his two fellow
Betarim - the
only cool,
detached and
unaggravated
people in the
entire
court-room.
After that came
three and a half
weeks of
unceasing
attempts to
secure a
reprieve.
Appeals to the
British
Government and
the Palestine
Administration
came from the
Jewish national
organizations,
from the Chief
Rabbi of the
British Empire,
from two
Anglican
Bishops, The
Lancaster
Guardian, from
the Polish
Government, from
Chief Rabbi
Herzog of
Palestine, from
British Members
of Parliament,
newspaper
editors,
churches, and
synagogues,
The cries of Ben
Yosef's aged
mother in
Poland, who
begged only that
her young son's
life be spared
until she could
reach Palestine
to see him for
the last time,
went unanswered.
Jabotinsky
himself went to
plead with
Britain's
Colonial
Secretary,
Malcolm
McDonald. In
thousands, the
petitions came,
but only in
vain. Shein's
sentence was
commuted, but
Ben Yosef was to
be sacrificed.
Ben Yosef was
executed in
June, 1938. The
entire Jewish
world was
shocked by this
injustice and
was deeply moved
by the heroism
of the young man
in the face of
death.
A Betari Until
the End
On the morning
of Wednesday,
June 29, 1938,
Shlomo Ben Yosef
rose early. It
was the day
after he had
told his last
visitor "I will
die like a man
and a Betari. I
am proud to be
the first to be
sacrificed for
the Jewish
People." He kept
his word.
Calmly, without
haste, he
washed, brushed
his teeth,
combed his hair,
and dressed in
the white
clothing
supplied to him.
The British
refused to give
him his simple
blue trimmed
Betar uniform,
even though they
promised him he
would be allowed
to wear it. He
told them he
would not go
willingly if not
in uniform.
After much
deliberation, he
agreed to go
without it as
long as he was
able to
apologize to his
fellow Betarim
for not having
it on. "Very
well," he said,
"I will go. Let
it not be said
that a Jewish
soldier is
afraid of
death."
He took a final
glance at
himself in a
mirror, made
sure that he
looked as smart
and clean as if
he were in a
Betar parade. He
then walked out
unflinchingly
toward the
scaffold. On the
way, he heard
the terrified
shriek of an
Arab murderer
about to be
hanged, He
smiled
contemptuously,
and remarked to
the escorting
guards "It
appears that we
will even have
to teach them
how to die."
Shlomo Ben Yosef
could then be
heard throughout
the prison
singing
Hatikvah. He
climbed the
scaffold
fervently
singing Shir
Betar - "Lamut o
Lichbosh et
Hahar, to die or
conquer the
hill," - the
first song he
had learned in
the far away
Plugah at Lutzk.
On the gallows
he faced the
executioner.
Pride and
defiance shone
in his eyes, as
he spoke his
last words.
"I die with the
name of
Jabotinsky on my
lips,
sacrificing my
life in the hope
that the Jewish
nation may learn
the lesson that
Havlaga,
Self-restraint,
is fatal.
The Third Kinus
Autumn, 1938. In
Warsaw the 3rd
World Conference
of Betar is
taking place.
Thousands have
crowded into the
Norvitz Hall.
Thousands of
others have
remained in the
streets waiting
for the arrival
of Rosh Betar.
A short while
before the
opening of the
Kinus, a common
pride embrace
them all. Before
your very eyes
unfolds an
unforgettable
scene - Jews of
all sections -
orthodox,
workers, and
intelligentsia
all have come to
greet our
leader, and
through him the
whole of our
movement.
Here you meet
Betarim from the
whole world and
once again you
feel Lo Alman
Israel, Israel
is not orphaned.
Your thoughts
are interpreted
by a mighty Tel
Hai which bursts
forth from the
street and
penetrates every
corner of the
hall.
Rosh Betar has
arrived.
And even today I
see him standing
on that platform
delivering the
opening address.
A prophet is
speaking. He
castigates, he
teaches, and
when from his
lips the words
are heard
"Whither Jewish
Youth?" then you
fell that before
you stands a
father with a
big heart, a
heart that
bleeds because
of the fate of
his children and
at the same time
does not fail to
show the only
true way.
And when his
last words were
heard in that
hall, a mighty
Hatikvah was in
was the answer
to the call of
the teacher.
I leave the
Norvitz Hall.
Here one meets
dozens of
friends and
acquaintances.
Some are old
participants in
Betar schools
and conferences
- are all
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