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At center: Ola Zeitzik
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by Arieh Poltzik
Translated by Rabbi Molly Karp
The youth movement was an offshoot of the national and socialist liberation movements of the Jewish nation, and was a fermenting and creative cause for Jews in eastern and central Europe before the ascent of the destroyer. The youth movements arose as fruit of the rebellion of the youth against the ways of life of their fathers, and they took upon themselves roles of national renewal and pioneering work in the land of Israel.
The English scouting spread in all the lands of Europe and reached Poland as well. In the year 1921 an adaptation of Baden-Powell's[1] scouting book was published in Poland. In those days the first Polish Scout Battalions arose. The long stick, the scout shirt, and the broad-brimmed hat became a thing in the general style among the youth in Poland. The name “Scout” served as a means of attraction for the Jewish youth. And indeed in the year 1921 Jewish Scout battalions were founded in Poland on the Polish pattern.
Indeed, the purpose of the special exercises and training of the English Scout was to educate an English soldier, who would know how orient himself in the virgin forests of Africa and Asia; however, this did not suit the Jews very well. However, the romantic image of scouting, which acted on the imagination of youth, and the essential role of an exemplary all-around education, whose slogan “a healthy soul in a healthy body” filled part of the content of the new movement, while on the other hand, continuing education in Jewish studies was a completion of education of healthy youth who engaged in outings and physical exercises. This was the beginning of the road: to awaken dormant strengths among the youth, to move him towards many-faceted development, and to deeds and achievements with shared powers.
The heroic deeds of the Shomrim in the land of Israel influenced and brought the conclusion that it is not speech that determines, but only the everyday deed is able to bring the lofty national ideals to fulfillment. Since they were still young and the possibility was not given to them to live in the land, they decided to train themselves in exile for the important national roles, by means of systematic education, familiarity with the nation and its history, penetration into the cultural values and recognition of the land of the ancestors and in the conditions in which they would need to live.
HaShomer HaTzair
The first youth movement that cast educational and social patterns and that served as a model and example for the rest of the youth movements that arose in its wake, and learned from its ways and attempts, was “HaShomer HaTzair.”
HaShomer HaTzair was founded after the union of two Jewish national youth organizations: “HaShomer” and “Tzeirei Tzion,” which between them separated quite noticeable differences. The first was a Jewish interpretation of the Polish Scouting organization, while the second was a kind of European version of the “yeshiva,” whose essential goal was learning, disputation, and debate. In the first there was a point of honor about the continuing education in the technical professions, while in the second the emphasis was placed on the wisdom of Israel. The young people from the two organizations would meet frequently and the idea of the unification was born. At first the two parties existed side by side, and over the course of time they reached an amalgamation of all the human and Jewish fundamentals. Thus the archetype of the Jewish youth was created that was really young and really Jewish, in which the way of life and the deed served for him as a kind of two sides of the same coin.
In that same period, that is, in the 1920s, there was in the city of Lida a large Jewish concentration. Most of it was materially sound, which influenced it on the cultural level. Jews governed the economic life of the city, and they did not only work in commerce, but they also developed manufacturing, established factories in various industries, and not only that, most of them even gave Hebrew names to their enterprises, such as: Tachanot [mills], Erdel [overshoe], Ra'anan [refreshing], etc. The Jews lived on the main streets of the city and in its center, and thanks to their material situation they had the opportunity to acquire a good education for their children.
And indeed, there were a number of gymnasia in the city. .Apart from the government gymnasia, there was Dvoretzki's gymnasium, and later the “Tarbut” gymnasium was founded.
The Jews who were residents of Lida were educated people with initiative, and infused with the Zionist spirit. It is no wonder, therefore, that when news arrived about the existence of a youth organization by the name of “Scout,” the idea found fruitful ground in the city. A group of youth organized itself that began with an intensive activity under the guidance of Ola Zeitzik.
At its beginning the activity was mainly in the area of scouting, and the main goals were two: 1. A healthy soul in a healthy body; 2. The shaping and forging of the will, with the emphasis placed on the physical education.
Over a short time the framework was expanded, and from a limited group of maturing youth, they began to organize groups of all ages.
The youth was drawn to the movement, and began to pound on its doors. Nevertheless, they were accepted into its ranks only after selection, and therefore only choice material was concentrated in it. The activities were mostly in scouting, the meetings were dedicated to games, songs, and drilling exercises, while most of the songs were in Hebrew, and the anthem was “HaTikvah.”
As was said, the main thing in the activities of the movement was physical education. Until that time the Jewish children spent most of their time in “cheder,” bent over the books, so that they were far from nature and the concern for developing physical ability.
The scout in Lida instilled within the youth the need for the education of a Jew who was healthy in his body, proud and standing upright, who would be able to withstand all kinds of national challenges, who would be competent to perform all the kinds of tasks that would be placed upon him, and who would not fall in physical fitness from the Gentiles, whether in games of sport or in a challenges in a time of necessity.
“The Scout” strove for the achievement of the two goals mentioned above in a methodical way of education, and organization of enterprises and joint activities of the youth. Thus, for example, an orchestra of a group of students was organized that played on unique kinds of instruments. This was an original orchestra that united the youth group and served also for purposes of entertainment.
A second and more important group kind of activities were the outings in the lap of
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nature in a semi-military form. They would go out of the city together, to the forests or the villages, and devote themselves to studying scouting in practice. Life in the lap of nature and in the fresh air contributed to forging the character and shaping the will, and they also developed the physical ability of the students. Besides this, they used to dedicate a limited time in every activity for drills; in this way they became accustomed to discipline and teamwork.
These activities constituted a source of attraction for the youth learner, who before this was indifferent and did not show interest in the Scout organization. The framework of the movement began to expand and additional groups, were organized. In their beginning these groups were small but in time they grew and bound their members in bonds of friendship and true affection. The Scout shirt and the long stick became a thing that was in style in Lida.
Over the course of time the name of the “Scouts” movement was changed to “HaShomer,” and with the change of the name the content too was changed, which no longer limited itself to education in scouting alone, but began to instill Jewish studies, Zionist ideas, and educational activities on the cultural plane. In the activities they began to dedicate a significant amount of time to conversation in which the Director-Madrich lectured on a topic such as: the history of the nation of Israel, getting to know the land of the ancestors, and the love of work, and afterwards he would develop an argument. The students expressed their opinion, asked questions, and finally the Madrich would sum up the topic. He stayed principally on the important points on which it was possible to give an opinion, and likewise on the reading of additional material for deepening the information.
The expansion of the framework of the movement necessitated finding a place that would be a home and would enable regular activities, whereas the custom then was to carry out the activities under the open sky, or in the beer factory courtyard. Now they rented a room on Sovalska Street and they called the place an “office.”
The extensive activity of the movement, which meanwhile received the name “HaShomer HaTzair,” was a thorn in the side of the Polish authorities, who found a pretext and forbade the carrying out of the activities. The cell began to operate underground, and moved to Tzernova Street. This matter caused difficulties in the development of the movement. The activities were constricted and fraught with danger. The youth who desired to join the ranks of the movement was prevented from it due to the risk, and because of the intense opposition of the parents, who did not permit their children to belong to an illegal organization.
Upon receiving legalization the “HaShomer HaTzair” cell expanded its horizons. In that same period it moved to a new residence that had a number of rooms, which enabled activities at the same time for a number of groups. At the head of the cell at that time stood Avraham Poltzek, who was very devoted to the educational work. His work was not in vain, and his efforts bore fruit. The cell became established and grew in both its quantity and quality, so that even older youth, mostly from the gymnasia, joined the cell. The population of the city was conscious of the revival movement of the nation of Israel in general, and related to the youth movement with fondness. We can learn about the great influence of the cell on the city from the effort that people made, despite having passed the age, sought to be accepted in it.
The next stage of the development of the cell was the implementation. The elders of the group began to go out for training. The time arrived to fill the fundamental principal of personal realization with content, in which the unity of the way and the deed was reflected.
The idea of the training for the work was fundamentally productive and essential, while its purpose was to train the youth towards the future. Most of their numbers were from wealthy homes and lived comfortable lives, or they learned in the gymnasia, or they helped their parents with their commerce. Considering that it was desirable for the youth to receive preparation for aliyah to the land, a place where it would be necessary to do manual labor in difficult conditions that they were not accustomed to, the essence of the preparation needed to be expressed in the learning of agriculture.
However, in reality an entirely different thing was accepted. In Poland there were actually only a few farms in which agriculture training could be received. Most of the training centers were organized in the cities, and the economic conditions were quite difficult. It was hard work to obtain, the income was small, and therefore it was impossible to obtain suitable housing. In addition to that the amounts that could be spent for food were constricted, and therefore nutrition was also poor. But despite all these difficulties,
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| “HaShomer HaTzair” in Lida at the Beginning of Its Organization At center: Ola Zeitzik |
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the movement's means of education proved themselves, and the methodical education was not in vain. The desire that grows and strengthens, the developing stamina, the preference for matters of the nation over private matters – all these helped to overcome the obstacles and to make a stand in the difficult conditions of the training until the longed-for certificate would be acquired. The crowning glory of the fulfillment was aliyah to the land. The first group from the cell that ascended was from kibbutz “HaSolel.”
After that, systematic aliyah began, and this was after the completion of very long periods of training in conditions that were not easy. In addition to the difficulty of acclimation to physical labor, to which they were not accustomed, it was also necessary to tighten the belt due to a lack of means for the purchase of food in sufficient measure. However, as was said, thanks to the education that they received in the movement, the members of the cell held on, after a long road that was not paved with roses, and despite the opposition of the parents, who despite their being Zionists themselves, did not view the proletarianization of their children favorably. There were those who saw disaster for the family in this. Despite this the students did not give up, and continued on their road towards the challenge.
In that same period, when aliyah to the land brought the emptying of the cell of the graduating class, a certain freeze and even a stoppage took place in the development of the movement. The cell then moved back to a smaller home. Members of “Breaker” began to go out for training, and when the need for self-realization became closer – departures also began, the numbers of learning youth began to fall. Quickly the composition of the human material in the cell changed, and most of the students were no longer students of the gymnasia.
In the year 1934 recovery began and the cell entered a period of prosperity and splendor. There was a need to find a large dwelling place that could contain all the youth that streamed to the movement. Then the house moved to Zevalna Street, where it took the place of the school, in a building with many rooms and a large auditorium. Every regiment received a separate room. This fact enabled organized activity that began with the decoration of each room in accordance with the purposes of the educational level. The activity entered fixed patterns. Thus, for example, they turned Lag Ba'Omer outings[2] into an event in the city. When they returned from the forest in the evening and together passed through the streets of the city, the community would welcome the returnees with celebrations. Likewise they made it a tradition that the camps and the summer settlements that were arranged by troops in the various villages became quite long periods in the heart of nature, in order to take advantage of the time for activities both in the area of scouting and in general continuing education. The expansion of the framework and the enlarging of the cell were felt in the city despite the fact that in the same period an additional number of youth movements that were able to be developed arose in the city.
The activity was not only reduced in activities between the walls of the movement itself. The heads of the cell were active in both “HeChalutz” and “The League for the Working Land of Israel;” they participated in the general Zionist activities in the city and their influence in the city was noticeable and strong. This elevated the national awareness of the entire population, and was reflected in elections to the congresses and the rest of the areas of activity of Constructive Zionism.[3]
The hard work and energy that was invested, the education for the challenges, and for the values and the training that the young people received – all these bore fruit. The students of the Lida cell did not disappoint upon their arrival to the land, and with the sweat of their brow they offered up their contribution to the building of the land. Those that emerged from the Lida cell who were concentrated in the “Kfar Menachem” farm are proof of that. The place that was abandoned by the previous settlers was changed by the joint powers of the students of the Lida cell and their friends from a wasteland to a flowering garden, which stands out not only in its exterior, but is also a developed farm that is based on an integration of agriculture and manufacturing. Also in other points we encounter students of the cell, such as in Kibbutz Aylon in the northern part of the land, a desolate and mountainous place on the border, far from the Jewish center, which was conquered by hard, exhausting work, and likewise in Beit Zera, in Beit Alpha, in Gal'on, and others.
The youth movements of the Jewish nation, which were pioneers of national renewal, fulfilled all the tasks that they took upon themselves, and that were placed upon them by the national of Israel for the sake of the establishment of the State of Israel. The Lida youth took its full share in this national undertaking.
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| The “HaShomer HaTzair” Cell, the Kinneret Troop (1928). The Emissary Micha Vardimon |
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“HaNoar HaTzioni”[4]
The “HaNoar HaTzioni” organization was organized in Lida in 1931. Before this the majority of its members were united in the “Herzliya” organization. On the heels of the unification with HaShomer HaLeumi[5] that arose in Poland at the initiative of the members of “Herzliya,” the cell of “HaNoar HaTzioni” was founded in Lida. The movement was mostly comprised of high school students, and after some time, working youth also joined its ranks.
The movement had all the characteristics of the youth movements that were accepted on the Jewish street in that period:
The organization was built from three classes, according to the age of the members. The emphasis was placed principally on three academic activities. Together with this, expeditions, outings and summer camps were held. The camps were organized jointly for members of the whole region. In addition to this, national camps for the leaders were held in the mountains. However, they always considered the cultural theoretical side more.
Members that afterwards filled primary roles in the head leadership in Warsaw emerged from the Lida cell and left their mark on the whole movement.
In the year 1933 a split occurred in the organization of the General Zionists. This event also influenced the “Noar HaTzion” organization in Lida, which defined itself as part of the General Zionists Aleph, that is, the Greenbaum group.
After one student from the government school was taken out of the gymnasia because of her membership in the “Noar HaTzion” organization, many of the students stopped visiting the cell, and the activities were weakened to a certain degree. Nevertheless, a number of members went out for training, and after they completed their training period (whose conditions were very difficult), they reached the land.
In the time of the Russian regime, the “Noar HaTzion” organization in Lida went underground. The members stayed in constant contact and worked together for aliyah. The people of the movement passed through Lida to Poland, and from there to the land. At the end of the Second World War, members of the cell in Lida engaged in help for the refugees and in guidance for their transfer to Vilna, so that from there they could ascend to the land of Israel.
“Freiheit” (Dror)[6]
The youth movement “Freiheit” was founded in Lida in about the year 1927 at the initiative of the “Poalei Tzion” party.
From the lack of a meeting place and a permit from the authorities, the activity began in secret. The gatherings were held in one of the classrooms of the “Talmud Torah,” secretly, by the light of a candle, while entering and leaving the building was done in total secrecy.
After about half a year, the party obtained a gathering place and also legalization by the authorities. At first the movement concentrated on working youth 16-18 years old, and the main part of its activity was expressed in discussions, political debates, and social parties.
After a number of years a young class by the name of “Freiye-Scoyten” (Free Scouts) was organized, which focused on children from the age of 10 and up. The activities of the young class were based in scouting. In order to ensure Madrichim, special courses were organized.
In the year 1931, an adult member was sent from the center for the administration of the scouts and also for the administration of the drama group. This coordinator – Moshe Novoprutzki – with his coming to Lida, breathed life into the movement, and brought its growth and development. The years 1932-1935 were years of flourishing for the movement: summer camps, outings, a drama group, a choir, public appearances. All of this outside of the regular daily activities in the groups and age levels.
The ideological education was based on Socialist Zionism, and from an organizational point of view this was a youth movement of the “Poalei Tzion” party. However over the course of the years the movement received a distinctly pioneering character: training and aliyah to the land of Israel was made a central educational branch of it. Despite the fact that the realization was not an obligation – for it was possible to join “Poalei Tzion” without the condition of aliyah – many of the movement's founders, from its Madrichim and its students, went out for training and ascended to the land.
The city of Lida excelled in the period mentioned above in the flourishing of the youth movements of all the ideological hues. It was pleasant to take a walk on the main street in the evening and see hundreds of youths, in the attire of the
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| The “Freiheit” Organization at the Beginning of the 1930s |
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various movements, emerging from their club houses full of the joy of life and youthful energy.
About a year before the Second World War, a closeness began between “Freiheit” and “HeChalutz HaTzair” to the degree that it was possible to unite the two movements, and indeed, before the outbreak of the war, the united movement “Freiheit”- “HeChalutz HaTzair” arose.
The Nazi ax that was lifted against the Jews of Europe also cut down this young branch, the youth movement in Lida, the city with a large, awake and active Jewish population.
The students of “Freiheit” in Lida were among the partisans, among those who made their way to the land of Israel, but most of them were destroyed with the members of their nation and the members of their city.
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| “HaShomer HaTzair” The “Bnei Midbar” Group, the Tribe of “Judah” |
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Seated from right to left: Eliyahu Damesek, Shmuel Maslovti, Dvoritzki, Arieh Rubinovitz. Standing: Yosef Kalmanovitz, Gite Orzechobski, Yisrael Shvailach |
Translator's footnotes:
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