RE: Yiddish letters about the founding of Poalei Zion in Czernowitz

Hi Mimi, and everybody else here...

My father Menahem Roll (Roll from his father side Koler (Kohler) from his
mother side) was among the establishers of the 'Hahalutz" Zionist movement
in Czernowitz and when it was merged with "Gordonia" movement he was at the
head of the "Gordonia"-Czernowitz branch and later on While he was 20 years
old was elected to the European Gordonia movement leadership team together
with Pinhas Lubianiker-lavon that came from Gordonia-poland.
Years later, during the 50th, P. Lavon became well known as Israel's Defense
Minister and his involvement in "Lavon Affair" or the "Essek Bish" (more
years after, revealed that Lavon was totally innocence in the affair but had
to take a ministerial responsibility).
My father chose to get away of politics - as is the teaching of Gordonia -
and worked the land of the Jordan Valley and then later on for 20 years
(1959-1979) was the Mayor and CEO of the Jordan-Valley district in Israel.
After that he was the chief inspector of the Israeli Kibbutzes Movement
among many others concurrent duties until he deceased (1989).

The Gordonia Zionist movement, Czernowitz Halutzim among them, established
kibbutzes like Massada (established by a group of Czernowitz group combined
with Akkerman group) where I was born) Hulda, Matzuba and others (better
known as the settlements of the "Wall and the Tower" - "Ishuvai Homa
o'migdal" of the Third Immigration - H'Alia Hshlishit).

What puzzling me is that I could not find any evidence to the existence of
the Gordonia Zionist Movement in any reference regarding Czernowitz.

Do you have any idea why is that? Do you know anything about the Gordonia
Zionist movement in Czernowitz?

******Gordonia was named after Aaron David Gordon - an East European Zionist
- Lived in Kibbutz D'gania-A (the first Kibbutz established in Israel) in
the Jordan Valley at the very beginning of the 20th century that was
teaching and advocating for the return of the Jews for working the land and
living simple and modest. We are definitely missing that kind of teaching
these days...Ha?*********

The Halutzim from Gordonia-Czernowitz were writing a formidable chapter in
the Israeli settlement story before the Israeli independence war and after,
yet there is no evidence for those achievements in the official publications
about Czernowitz!! Why is that?

Is anybody else from the site can help in this matter?

Thanks

Aaron Roll
Toronto
amroll_at_rogers.com
 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-CZERNOWITZ-L_at_cornell.edu [mailto:owner-CZERNOWITZ-L_at_cornell.edu]
On Behalf Of Miriam R. Taylor
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 10:06 AM
To: CZERNOWITZ-L
Subject: Yiddish letters about the founding of Poalei Zion in Czernowitz

Dear all,

I have in my possession letters which my grandfather, Saul Leib Steinmetz
wrote in Yiddish, in 1938. One of them describes the founding of the
Zionist movement "Poalei Zion" in Czernowitz in the year 1903, other
letters tell about Zionist related events in the early part of the 20th
century.
Anyone interested please let me know and I will scan and mail these letters
to you. For those of you who do not know Yiddish, or have trouble reading
the handwriting, I can easily translate the letters to English or Hebrew.
                                                   Best regards to all,

Mimi

Received on 2004-02-11 13:05:37