Eric Stillerman
Copyright 2009
Through the Years
BIO 50?S: SNIPPETS
52 Born Jhb ? I thing King George and the future Queen E II visited SA!
53-55 Unsighted
56-57 Nursery School ? peanut butter samis, hot chocolate, sleep at 12, hated ring, not sure about sand pits and jungle gyms? loved racing in the playground remember Choni, Hillel Sher and others at full pace, till I landed on the barbed wire fence on Bedford road ? off to the Highlands North clinic for stitches ? scars still on my forehead.
58 ? The Big Year of Grade 1! Remember watching out of the back of the bus (driver Jonathan or David?) for the new Chev Bel-Air ? complete wind-down windows ? still a beaut of a car! Mrs Goodman ? class above the old swimming pool. Remember the tuck shop ? brilliant hot hamburgers and hotdogs with tomato sauce around 25 pence, coke 5p, wix 1p?! Sat next to Rhona Levitt ? hot chick of Grade 1! Remember flash cards of the alphabet ? think we learned to read and write with HB2 Pencils.
59 ? Grade 2 Mrs Goodman again ? Chev 59 was a bit sharper than the 58. Learnt some more. Think my girl of the year was Glynis Bloom? (Sorry guys, this is a recurring theme of my school years!!!). Romance of the year: Jossi Stern (now choirmaster at Sydenham Highlands North) and Elana Abelheim (sort of like the Elizabeth Taylor of our time (went on stage together for some concert?). Jeff Miller remembers my mom?s green Prefect up and down Sylvia Pass and his house oppie koppie.
60?s to follow?
1960 (Caution ? save as you go ? I just lost a lot of stories from 1960-63 ? I?ll try again).
Mr Lipschitz, the Principal died and Doc Beron became Principal around then.
Standard 1 Mrs Sand ? good teacher of vital skills: ?real? writing, basic arithmetic etc.
Politics: Kennedy was elected that year with all the excitement and romance with Jackie, their all American family, Life magazine etc.
SA Politics: the Referendum on a Republic: Yes/Ja or/of No/Nee must have been around then. Alan Paton and the Liberal Party were also banned around then. Enter the Progs led by Jan Steytler and later Helen Suzmann, with ?Leader of the Opposition? De Villiers Graaf of the United Party. Remember the posters with images of Verwoerd all over. Ja, No, Well Fine? that was that?
1961
20 Jan 1961 JFK Inauguration: ?Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country? ? spine-chilling memories
SA Republic: New SA flags, Commemoration Medals, and then.. expulsion from the Commonwealth ? remember hearing it on the 10pm news returning from a soccer match at Balfour Park, then FIFA (didn?t realise the significance at the time), and the Olympics (Rome 1960 must have been our last games where Gert Potgieter won a Gold for the 440 hurdles).
Sharpeville ? start of panic and emigration trend, lots of fear for the future, police state taking shape?
HF Verwoerd must have been shot and injured in his ear at the Rand Easter Show around then by a guy called David? Pratt. Quite soon thereafter he was stabbed by Dimitri Tsafendas in Parliament. Very emotional times. Enter John Balthazar Vorster (please correct my dates and facts someone who knows better)
Standard 2 Mrs Rothpart? also key skills learnt: decimals, tens and units, 1-12 times table, grammar, spelling, general knowledge. Classrooms above the playground.
Playground: hectic games: Running Red Rovers, Stingers, Marbles (Partners ? Les Steingo ? now a cardiologist and Brian Davimes), Lev says, we skipped with the girls?, Soccer and cricket games on the top field.
Personal incident of the year: Mrs Infeld Head of Hebrew slapped me full on across the face behind the door at the hall during singing?. Needless to say, she screamed at me ?U Lu U Lu U LU Shut Up!? Mrs Rothpart sent me straight to the secretaries office to reciver from the schock and treat my face with packs of ice. That could not happend in today?s world!!
1962
Standard 3 Mrs Green: Vital Skills learnt without which others not so fortunate could not get ahead: fractions, ratios, multiplication, long and short division, grammar, more reading, spelling and general knowledge.
Friends that year: Ralph Judah lived down the road from me in Observatory and Phil ? I think our moms represented SA in the Bridge Olympics in Rome around that time.
Girls of the year: Standard 2 I think it was Glynnis Bloom; Standard 3 sat next to Cynthia Fogel ? passed each other notes, I fancied her and I think she also fancied me as she told me only a few years ago!
Sport: Terhorst (what on earth does that mean?) Cricket. Ronnie Epstein great fast opening bowler, Sam ? you were a batter and bowler I think, I tried to make it as a ?silly? mid-on fielder ? the closer to the batter the better ? without getting killed!
Under 10 Soccer: Ronnie Epstein Centre Forward; Stan Weiner Right Wing; Ronny Levine Left Wing; Syd Kanichofsky ? Inside Right? Michael Grusd was in there; Wassie; Berlow; I think I was Inside Right till I switched to Goalkeeper. Remember games against great rivals Linksfield with Martin Coehn and Errol Burg before he came to KD; Yeoville; HA Jack; Sandringham; Fairmount.
Tennis: Mrs Green encouraged us to start. The Coach was Mr Puncec if I?m not mistaken!!
Pro Soccer: I think Leicester City layed Transvaal at Ellis Park in 61 or 62, and the Spurs played SA at the Rand Tadium around 63, and Real Madrid in 64.
SA Soccer: I was also Durban City man for some reason (like Terry and Phil?). Guess we preferred the banana boys in blue and white hoops to the nerds of the north in red and white. Ryder (before he turned coat ), Brian and George Barrat, Les Salton ? top scoring striker, Ken Dennyschen, Le Roux right wing.
Boxing: remember Mike Holt, Willy Ludick; I suppose Cassius Clay must have knocked out Sonny Liston around then.
Rugby: Help me guys ? and great games??
Cricket: Great games and names??
1963
Standard 4 Mrs Bolnick ? lovely lady. Other teachers I think Mr Williams, Mrs Smith, Mrs Poplack?
Behaviour: Not too bad. Just when the student teachers came couldn?t resist a bit of fun.. I had to get her to ask me my name, so I could give the same answer my uncle told me about when he was at school. So I talked, and chewed gum, and jumped out my seat, and chewed some more gum in front of her face, till she finally asked me: What is your name? Me: ?The same as it was yesterday!? I think I spent quite some time outside, and maybe picked up some rare flaps from Doc Beron for that one!
Sex lectures: Std 4 or 5?
JFK ?Ich Bin Ein Berliner? 26 June 1963
Martin Luther King ?I have a dream? 28 August 1963
JFK gunned down in Dallas Texas 22 November 1963 ? heard it on the news around 10pm. Where was I? I think in my room ? shocked stunned and very sad. Where were you?
Enter: Lyndon Baines Johnson ? LBJ!!!!
SA: must have been the start of the Treason Trials?
I think the economy must have been in boom times as life was pretty good for us personally and socially
When did we start going to movies on the bus ? in Town:
His Mjesty?s, Colloseum and Empire in Commissioner Street, Monte Carlo and Metro in Jeppe Street? Piccadily in Yeoville, Royal and Astra in Orange Grove? The 20th Century? The Wimpy? The Las Vegas where we played snooker? The Moulin Rouge Restaurant ? for the high flyers.
Think Cliff Richard toured around that time ? remember the crowds outside the old Carlton Hotel.
Wembley Ice Rink?
We road our bikes all over the place?
Social life: parties started around then? I think the first one was at Judy Daniels. Sunday morning Heather Miodownik and I, Heather Glauber and Gary (?) went on a date to the Wilds!!! Sat on the benches?. leave the rest to your imagination!
Personal highlight: family trip to Israel, as well as Rome, Naples, Nice and Monte Carlo. Unforgettable, though I was still very young at 11. Remember the Mandelbaum Gate splitting Jerusalem, not being able to go to the Western Wall, looking over the border Jodan and Saudi Arabia at Eilat? standing in the enormous pipes of the National Water Carrier built to take water from where it was? The Galilee.. to where it was needed? the Centre and the Negev in the South.
1964
Standard 5 Mrs Bekwith ? a real prim and proper English lady. Other teachers as you know Bennie Booysen, Jannie Jansen, ano?
Learnt good stuff: Maths: geometry and a bit of algebra? Health was good solid useful stuff eg. First Aid, Nutrition etc. Geography ? also quite interesting ? more about Europe than SA for some strange reason.
Mandela?s famous speech at his trial 20 April 1964 ?I am the First Accused?? Not sure how long it took for him to finally be sent to Robin Island.
The Police state growing more oppressive in these years ? banninggs, house arrests, Suppression of Communism Act, 90 ? 180 Days, Total Onslaught, Rooi Gevaar, Swart Gevaar?
LBJ must have been getting deeply into Vietnam at that time.
Think we started to grow up a bit. Batmitzvah parties? Girl of the year I think was Judy or Heather Mio again.
Enjoyed the School Sport: U12 Soccer team in goals; Cricket Commonwealth team; Sports and off course Cecil Colwyn and the Swimming Pool!!! Pull Cheek Slide? and shivering at the side of the pool as your guys have reminded me.
Remember Gym in the Hall and buying bricks towards the new gym which was built many years later.
Started Barmi lessons: OK ? so we gave Konni a hard time that year ? please forgive us! Worst incident? There?s Konni chasing me around the prefab above the tennis courts. The guys split open a row of desks to let me through, and then close the gap so Konni flies over the top and lands on the other side!! (a bit exagerated, but true no less!). In form 1 we actually worked very hard and well with him to do our barmies. George and I both did the same full Sedra with extra lessons, the record and the whole shabang, for which I am truly grateful to my parents and Konni. I can today still lein from Torah with the trop he taught us, as well as any Haftorah. It is one of my greater pleasures to do this on a Shabbat morning. Later in High School around 69 he taught me the full benching and Sheva Brochas for my sisters wedding, for which I am also grateful. His passing several years later was very sad indeed.
Apparently the Class of 68 spent a lot of time debating Jannie Jansen? I haven?t heard much from our guys on this ? except from Jeff ? he escaped from Witpoortjie unscathed!Glad to say I also escaped unscathed! Don?t know anyone who actually fell victim to him. I do remember the Wipoortjie outing ? quite spooky with Ghost stories, fufi slides, mountain climbing and parfaits at the nearby roadhouse!
Friends at the time: Berlow, Wassie, Choni, Phil, was Evian there in Std 5 or 6?
Next up ? The Big Form 1!
Form 1:
Initiation: David Goss Head Boy on the Top Floor overlooking the Rugby field and the miserable worms of Form 1?s with their straw bashers and new blazers. Threatening anyone who steps out of line to push their bashers over their miserable little heads!1B All Boys Latin Class up in the prefabs next to Form 1 A: French; 1FF Brains Trust; 1 Alpha Accounting; 1 Beta?English: Mrs Sadovsky ? swinging from the Chandeliers! Taught us Julius Caesar, Dickens Hard Times and the rest.
Latin: Doc Thomas ? the legend; You bloody Ponk! Stillerman: Come to the front on the right; Shapiro ? come to the front on the left. Now bend over; Now Charge!!! Made a deal with my mom I could give it up if I passed Form 1 Latin. Thankfully I scraped 56% and do not regret the foundation it gave me in understanding some of the roots of the
English language.
History: Butch Bermann: Don?t But Me no Buts! I?ll kick you over the Rugby Posts! Textbook: Legacy of the Past.
PT: Mrs Rimer?
Hebrew: Mr Katzew or Mr Katz or Mr Goodman?
Maths: First Sean Connor ? taught us about wee ?long and cross tots?
Then Mrs Waldman? The Classic story ? she would put bad behaviour records on the blackboard .. as she turned to write a name, someone would jump out the back window which was close to the ground!!! One day, I think more thank half the class had left the room!! This was 1 time we all went and lined up at the bosses office for flaps ? en masse! Met at the ?Ablution? Block to compare the damage!
Science? Was it Mr Buch at that stage?
Manual Training: Mr Crawford or Mr Breers? more about that in Form 3!!
Incident of the Year: Going across to the Primary School Hall to listen to the Piano Concert of all concerts. The Pianist folded herself over the Piano, and flopped all over to the point where the whole hall was laughing hysterically and uncontrollably? and could not stop! Even the Prefects! The poor Pianist left the stage, and the Head Girl came on to the stage to appeal to us to stop laughing and for decent behaviour. To which the pianist returned to flop all over the piano to further uncontrolled fits of unremitting hysterical laughter. Needless to say, the concert came to a final close?.and we were marched off again to the bosses office for flaps en masse. I seem to remember it was only the boys of 1B!
See Philip Cramer?s Version of the Story on the FB Thread:
?Greta Beigel is/was a concert pianist in South Africa. She came to play at KDHS. I thought it was when we were in form I but Sam thinks it was when we where in Form II. Either way ?the Philistines (our class) was marched in first and had to sit in the front. Calling us Philistines was Sandler?s favorite phrase.
The concert. She was a great classical pianist but speaking for myself, my head was full or Beatles and Rolling Stones songs. It was her playing style that was at the root of the whole problem. She played piano like an alcoholic crab suffering from an advanced case of DT?s. Naturally, the Philistines could barely contain their giggles. I recall stuffing my tie into my mouth o stifle my laughter. Other students around me were doing the same. I recall that some of the teachers including Pee Wee Pierce were sitting on the floor on the side laughing as well.
Then, if memory serves me well, Stephen Barnett farted loudly. Ties flew out of mouths and the laughter became overwhelming. Greta Bagel leapt off the stool, slammed down the keyboard cover, yelled at the audience and stormed off the stage.
Marylin Grusd, the head girl then came up on stage and berated us calling us uncivilized and worse. I seem to recall that those responsible were ordered to report to Sandler?s office though I cannot recall if anyone actually did.
I spent part of the last weekend sitting in the sun by the pool with Ralph who was visiting from Boston. I recalled the incident with him but he didn?t mention any special role he played in the incident.
Marilyn Grusd lives in Los Angeles and was quite friendly with my parents. I have reminded her of the incident on a few occasions. She?s able to laugh at it and I told her a loud fart was what caused the figurative dam wall to break. She also admitted that she wanted to burst out laughing as well.?
Sport: Rugby U13 ? great experience ? lots of injuries and many thrashings of the Jode by regter Afrikaaner skole.
Cross Country: A Form 4 guy Julian Krinsky took me under his wing and convinced me I could win by running out in front. Trained like crazy and won the race out in front ? full of confidence and self belief . A wonderful experience for which I am truly grateful.
Social life ? all Barmi parties, great music, getting off behind the bushes?. Remember especially Stan Seeff?s party, Evian?s Party, Berlow?s and Lenny?s.
How about the clothes from Bevans? Deans on Rissik? Who remembers Squires in Yeoville? ABC Shoestores (the Manne family) and Cuthberts?
Crystals in Doornfontein and Kensington; Fontana in Hillbrow? Dunk a Donut? The International and the Disco next door in Hillbrow?
Girl of the year was Gail Sofer ? my cousin Valerie Segal?s friend from Victory Park. Gorgeous brunette?
Hot Chicks: Michelle Helmann (now Leon!) (don?t tell her ? she?s part of this thread!) and her crew: Ilona, Mimi? Judy, who else guys???
Music as before: Manfred Mann, Beatles, Stones, Bats, Seekers?, Cliff, Elvis, Des and Dawn, local bands: The Staccatoes, Eddie Eckstein, 4 Jacks and a Jill?.and more ?
Legendary characters: Aubrey Ginsberg, Colin Shapiro, Hymie Behr, Lenny Cohen, Brian Rosy (actually had a fisticuff with Rosy one day for some unknown reason? and then we became good mates) and a few other additions from other Primary Schools. Did a lot of bike riding with Lenny all over ? particularly long rides to the airport in the holidays. Got in quite a bit of golf in the holidays too with Wassie, Berlow and others.
Barmi was a memorable time ? the thrill of finally performing and reading from the Torah at the Bimah, making that Speech, having that Party ? well worth the time, effort and I daresay the parents money! In my case, I was really proud to be able to do the whole sedra and the Friday night service which Konni had managed to teach me through thick and thin!
Too involved in Barmis and the social scene that year for any politics.
1966:Form 2 K Mr Dave Klopper?s Class. He would grab your neck, squeeze and say ?Stillerman, why have you not done your hoomeework???!!? and not let go?
Incident 1 of the year: Klopper comes in one afternoon to do the Register. Sits on his chair and gets up again very slowly lift a drawing pin up from his seat in his hand and holding it up in front of the class in bemusement! As I knew nothing about this, I naturally burst out laughing ? enthralled that I had finally seen someone sit on a drawing pin on his chair! Needless to say?. No one else laughed as most of the guys knoew what was going on! So I was prime suspect number 1! We had to stay in all afternoon until I (or someone else) would finally own up! Eventually we got home? but guys kept coming up to me for years after that ? saying ?Stillerman, why didn?t you own up to putting the drawing pin on Klopper?s chair??!!? Decades later, about 10 years ago, a guy comes up to me in our Shul and says: ?Stillerman ? you know who put the drawing pin on Klopper?s Chair??? It was ME!!!?(None other than the famous Lesley Singer himself!!!) I guess some of you guys knew that all along ? didn?t you?
Arithmetic ? Sean Connor
Incident 2 of the Year: Sean walks in to the class and yells: ?Stillerman Oout!? Stillerman promptly takes his basher and blazer from the hooks at the back of the class and marches out, upstairs and along the passage towards the (Cape Dutch) Admin Block, a hundred form 2 eyes following him, I have since heard, as he goes ? what can he possibly be up to? All the way to the Bosses office! Sean gets called in and sheepishly enters the bosses office to answer ? why did you kick Stillerman out the class for no reason!!! Please don?t do it again Mr Connor! As we walk out the bosses office, Sean turn?s sheepishly to me and says: Stillerman would you like to play a game of golf with me?! We had a great game at Huddle ? can?t remember who else was there ? hacking all over the yellow course as if the best of friends! Always had a good bond since then.
Incident 3 of the Year admirable told elsewhere on this site by my accomplice Philip Cramer: July 1966 off to learn Afrikaans at a place in the Natal Midlands called Hebron Haven? near Michaelhouse and Howick Falls. Cramer tells tales of debauchery which completely passed me by!
Maths ? I think that?s the year Mr Morrison and/or his daughter June Barclay started teaching us ? what great teachers! I still remember Mr Morrison teaching us to draw a parabola neatly ? by focusing on the whole picture ? the furthest imaginary points on the curve, rather than the nearest ? a lesson I have tried to apply in life as well.
Afrikaans ? was Mev Riekert who kept on bending over showing us her tits!
English ? can?t remember, but the Shakespeare was Romeo and Juliet I think.
Science ? could it have been Mr Uranovsky?
Don?t remember all the teachers that year except a few. I think that?s the year Mr Katz taught us some Rashi ? it seemed like the same sentence every lesson ?Yeter, Choten Moshe?? Still don?t know what he was trying to teach us, but I guess I can still read a bit of the Rashi script today.
Sport: More Rugby U14, Cross-country, Athletics, a bit of cricket and tennis for me too. Got involved with Johannesburg Harriers Athletic Club with George, Alan Adno, Steve Margolis and Mike Medjack. Lots of hectic training and athletics meetings all over.
Social life: Got introduced to parties around the town and the Waverley girls by George as well as Barry Benjamin and Aubrey Ginsberg. One of the Waverley girls was my girl of the year ? just can?t remember her name.
Politics: Sam tells me this is the year Dimitri Tsafendas stuck it into HF Verwoerd in the middle of Parliament? and our next hero JB Vorster steps in?.
1967: MY/OUR BIG YEAR OF 15This was truly the most life changing and defining year for me, and I am sure for many others? full of very meaningful experiences one after the other, while growing up all at once.
Form 3P: I think it was Mrs Piser ? the Biology teacher?s class.
English: Heather Rosenberg ? gorgeous magical teacher ? I loved listening to her read poetry to us ? totally mesmerised.
Hebrew: Mrs Wolf ? also took her to the boss !!! for interfering with our davening in the morning!
Science ? Boozie Williams played Rugby for Hilton against Michaelhouse on a field full of cow and sheep dung. As the scrum folded and his face got pushed into the ground (I think as hooker) he would hear a loud and strong voice shout out? More Pressure in the Rear Michaelhouse!?
Maths? Morrison or Barclay?
History ? the legendary Don Lowrie?. Took us tediously through the French Revolution up to where Villeneuve lost his Nerve! I liked his circle showing how the extreme left and extreme right meet up ? both in totalitarian regimes like Stalinism and Fascism. More about him later in 67.
Afrikaans ? can?t remember ? maybe Riekert again
Sport: 10 March 1967 I won a Bronze Medal at the Southern Transvaal Athletics Championship ? running the 800 metres in 2 min 10.8 seconds, beating the previous record of 2 min 11.4 seconds set by Andries Krogman the previous year against Allan Adno and Steve Margolis. Did a lot of exhausting training that year ? around 7-10 miles in the evenings; and track work at Marist Bros Observatory with Dave Aronovitz around 4am in the morning. One afternoon, asked my mom to bring me a bottle of orange juice to the Airport ? and ran the 22 miles there and back with great conviction.
In the end I think I burnt myself out at such a young age? losing to Willy Browze in the cross country later in the year. He was a tough dude, and did much more limited training focused on the cross country and track races, rather than in endless endurance training.
All the most significant moments coming up?.
June 6 1967 ? the start of the Six Day War ? Intercom relays of news and announcements by the Boss. I remember the prevailing fear of what could happen to Israel with all the Arab nations turned against it. The blockade of the Straits of Tiran. Egypt declaring War, joined by Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the Arab League? Miraculously, suddenly we heard that Israeli Jets had destroyed the Egyptian Airforce in the first few hours of Day 1, and Israeli tanks were starting to advance towards the Sinai and eventually the Suez Canal. Then the liberation of Jerusalem and the Waling Wall, and the Golan Heights. And in Six Days it was miraculously over. The celebration and pride were perhaps one of the highest points in our modern history, not least for the removal of the threats surrounding Israel ?- at least for the immediate future. Sadly the hope for an early peace was not to be realised and still remains the major challenge facing Israel today.
Mr Lowrie caused some controversy at this time by apparently saying that ?The Jews have as much right to Israel as the Chinese have to Australia?. I think in the KD environment at that time, he had to take leave of absence?! He did return sometime later.
Mid-67 Vietnam War raging, Biafra starvation, vivid pictures in Time and Life Magazines I was introduced to by George? These images of War and Poverty made a deep impression on me as among the greatest challenges of our times.
Later 67- America puts a man into orbit in the Gemini programme I think? the world is enthralled ? they are now on their way in the race to the moon by the end of the decade as Kennedy had promised.
July 67 ? 8 of us friends including Colin Shapiro and Barry Judelman, Colin Lawrence and (the late great) Boytjie Nathanson from Parktown go off to build a school in Swaziland organised by SAVS Wits branch. I think Taffy Adler may have been there and a guy who kept saying ?Shitt Mee, You Buffoon?! I think now that he and some his Wits mates must have been high as the sky. It was in a wonderful valley nestling between Mbabane and Manzini. Learnt some great songs around the campfire especially a haunting love song sung late at night ? ?Sala Sitandwa Sorbonana??
The experience was incredibly liberating and profound? starting off a lifelong mission to contribute to development and tikun olam ? making a better world. I have since realised that ?touching the soil? and contributing to peoples lives in concrete terms, have particular value and resonance in reality.
Later 67 David Adler and Eddie Webster, two young history teachers set up our current affairs society and arrange a visit to the SA Institute of Race Relations, where we spend the day interacting with colleagues from different races and cultures, watching movies on prejudice and stereotypes ?. Another life changing experience, demonstrating how peace and understanding are actually possible in practice.
October ? December 1967: King David Ulpan ? a highlight experience for a group of 80 of us from KD Linksfield, Victory Park and Herzlia. Later I was to realize the unfairness to the people who were not there, and wish that this type of programme had been more inclusive. The trip itself was wide-ranging, from Mount Sinai in the South to the Golan Heights and the Dan and Banias sources of the Jordan in the North, most of the time spent at Beit Kakerem Rechov Hechalutz in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, as well as Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and other places on the West Bank which had recently come under Israeli control.
The unique spiritual intensity of Israel and specific places like the Western Wall had a profound impact on many who visit Israel, including me and others in the group. Spirituality and the Jewish religion have been lasting influences on me since an early age, enhanced by the unique atmosphere in Israel ? as religious people would put it ?closeness to the Shechinah?.
Classic Memorable Incident 1: On a free weekend, went backpacking with the Madrich Robert Lawrence on a private unauthorized tour to Gaza?. an eye opener on this small area which remained one of the hottest spots from that time on? we were followed by a crowd of young kids trying to sell us any number of dirt cheap products: pens, pencils, and assorted trinkets for next to nothing ? made in China ? at that stage in 1967! Can?t believe we still haven?t resolved this lingering problem after all these years.
Amongst the most significant aspects for me was the declaration by Moshe Dayan, as well as Yitzchak Rabin and others, that they were ?stretching out our hands to make peace with our neighbours?. Sadly and tragically, this was not to be? until today. I have been committed to the vision of peace ever since, and believe that peace and development in the region are eminently possible in our time.
Another historic event during the trip, was the news from South Africa that Professor Chris Barnard had transplanted a human heart ? into a man by the name of Louis Washkansky. Another amazing feat of human progress, science and endeavour.
These experiences convinced me that if human endeavour, science and technology could conquer the far reaches of outer space and the transplanting of a human heart, these endeavours and resources could surely one day be marshalled to conquer the ravages of war, poverty and human suffering. These realisations gave me a clear sense of life purpose and meaning, leading me to a career in the social sciences and the diverse fields of development, from personal and social, to economic, political and organisational.
Classic Memorable Incident 2: (just to spoil the plot, for those who know better!): There we were in Eilat, one evening messing around on the beach? had to get back to the bus by 10pm. Stillers and a few mates arrive a bit late (not sure how late?maybe 10-15 minutes?). Meish Zimmerman hits the roof ?with his twinkle toes. OK Stillerman ? this is IT: You are grounded ? you are not going up Massada as punishment!? The bus trip to Massada next day was quite sombre, with sympathy expressed by a few kind people such as Collette and maybe Mrs Berry (!) if I?m not mistaken. Nevertheless we go to bed in the youth hostel ? and Stillers is plotting and planning?. How can I miss Massada on this momentous tour to Israel ? impossible!!! Needless to say, up at around 3am ? off we go up the legendary Snake Path of Massada (Stillers in the thick of it!!) What could Meish actually do?? Turned out to be a most memorable experience ? watching the yellow ? red ball of the sun rising over the Dead Sea horizon ? (if you?ve never done? please do it!) Can?t remember what Meish actually said or did to compensate for this deviation from plan??!! Think I was restricted to the bus for some brief time maybe?? On we went to swim in the Dead Sea and then on a long bus ride all the way up to the North and to
Classic Memorable Incident 3: Rosh Hanikrah on the Lebanon border! Meish?s strict instructions ? ?No Straying off the Path?. Definitely No Swimming in the Sea!? There we are walking down this path overlooking the magnificent azure sea and down towards the grottoes (In those days you had to stop at this point? today, the cable car takes you all the way into the amazing caves). And then? Stillers strikes again. Gathers a group of rebels and all together they crawl along the coral of the pathway and then jump? into the beautiful turquoise blue water!!!! Soon we have a whole group of guys in the water!? and then we join hands in a large circle!? in the water! ? and then we begin to sing! And dance! The Horah! ?Havanagila, Havanagila!? I really can?t remember what Meish had to say at this point in the story!! I imagine he must have been thoroughly exasperated!. Nevertheless, justice was seen to be done! As we get back on the bus, we (the meshugena crew and me: can?t quite remember who was in on this one) realise that our feet are all cut to smithereens by the coral!!! And aching with pain! We had to be taken for tet injections and I suppose painkillers (can?t remember where). A story worth telling and reliving!!
Classic Memorable Incident 4: Jaffa one night on the Tel Aviv Free Weekend!!!! Don?t worry guys? this one remains untold by me, at least? Let?s see if anyone else has got the guts!!! (You know who you are?.!!!)
Classic Memorable Incident 5: Pension Margoa, 25? Rechov Hechalutz, Bet Hakerem! Our base in Jerusalem. One story I can?t tell, because I never actually saw, but I heard: Les Ossip taking out his eye on a Friday night! Lot?s of sub-plots going on there. For me our room was the Black 36! With my newfound mates from Cape Town who seemed somehow much more mature than all of us Joe-ies boys: Wolfe Harris ? great guitarist and dumb-struck in love with the drop-dead gorgeous Diane Calvin. Alan Horwitz, poet and composer who has written several poetry books since then. Classic sub-plots: first time at the Wall ? I later wrote a poem which won a competition which included a closing line ?and then I walk away, but never leave!?. Simchat Torah ? dancing down Jaffa Road arm in arm with thousands of passionate Chassidim: singing Vesamachta Bechagega Vehayita Ach Sameach?? over and over and over again for hours!!!! Visit to Meya Shearim and a Chassidik Rabbi?s Tish ?- all the Chassidim sitting around tables in the Succah, waiting for the Rebbe to speak, sing a niggun, and distribute precious morsels of his meal! Our Israeli Madrichim: Avraham Duvdevani! Yair and Tsippi!! Off course, Meish, Mrs Berry and her daughter, and Robert Lawrence ? subsequently an economic advisor to Clinton I think and also on the Harvard SA Economic Panel.
Classic Memorable Incident 6: Smuggling Contraband back into SA through Customs at Jan Smuts Airport! Needless to say we had been accumulating banned material all the way from the first stop at Athens Airport where we bought our first flick knives, Playboys, Henry Miller Sexus and Nexus, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, (did anyone buy Mao Tse Tung?s Little Red Book or Karl Marx?s Communist Manifesto?), Pete Seeger?s classic album including We Shall Overcome, Oh Freedom, Shoshaloza, Guantanamera, Little Boxes on the Hillside and more!!! How on earth were we getting these through customs? Well?. The flick-knife when in the back of a toothpaste tube (never to recover!!); The records changed covers ? my Pete Seeger became some other innocuous record title. Can?t remember how we did the books ? must have also been a change of cover?. Then Jan Smuts! I don?t know about you guys, but I had the best break of the lot ?. There I was standing in the line at Customs, in and amongst a group of Nuns!!!! How could we have anything to declare???? I just waltzed through with the Nuns! Many years of joy from the Pete Seeger record? still singing these classic songs today.
THANKS FOR READIN? AND HOPEFULLY SHARING ALL OF THIS!!
Classic 7 Form 3 Manual Training Exam, Mr Crawford ? it is alleged that he does not actually mark the exams ? he decides to either throw darts to work out the marks for each person, or he throws the papers down the stairs and sees where each paper lands!!!! Sooo, Stillerman and Shapiro decide to put Mr Crawford to the test ? to proove that he does not actually mark the exams. Sooo, the exam question is ?Draw a Plane?. Sooo, Stillerman and Shapiro both proceed to draw elaborate diagrams of an Airo Plane! Exams get handed in and all is forgotten.Till Assembly a few weeks later: Screams the Boss: ?Will Stillerman and Sahpiro please see me in my Office ? immediately after Assembly!?. Stillerman and Shapiro saunter up to the Boss?s office and enter? There on his desk are our exam papers!! So I take a peek at my paper and? lo and behold ? I see in huge red writing in a circle 0/100!!! At which I promptly burst out laughing !!! ?Why are you laughing?? belows the Boss! ?Because it?s the Biggest JOKE!? says Stillerman, not really knowing what he was saying ? in the Bosses Office! Can?t quite remember after that! Flaps or something no dount!!? Tillwe meet again in Form 4!!
1968Another Momentous Year
Form 4P Peewee Pierce (not sure why Michelle says he should have been in Jail with Jannie?)
English: Miss Sue Freed ? an exciting dynamic young teacher, allowed lots of discussion and creativity. Later had contact with her in Jerusalem in the early seventies. Set books? Merchant of Venice? Midsummer Night?s Dream? Enjoyed writing essays and poetry.
History: Mrs Cohen. Wonderful, erudite, sensitive and empathetic teacher. Had a debate with her in class about the need for discussion rather than dictating notes ? the majority preferred notes! Enjoyed the syllabus: Unification of Italy, Garibaldi, Bismarck?s Germany, Treaty of Versailles, Causes of the 2nd World War, period between the Wars, the Russian Revolution, a bit of America, more about the Afrikaner Wars and South Africa ? can?t remember much. As you?ll recall, we learned from Boyce ? a good old-fashioned liberal history book. But the exam was based on the verkrampte Afrikaans text of Van Jaarsveld! Sad to say I missed an A on this one. History is now being re-written from a totally different ? African perspective?
Hebrew: Gorgeous Noya Shapira ? it emerges that a few guys were in love with her at the same time, although she was actually all mine!
Maths: Peewee ? adequate if somewhat disinterested
Science: Uranovsky lispsed his way through magnetism? Electricity?
Mechanics: Alan Simon: evening classes held at his house or braaing and eating chestnuts at the park in Glenhove Road, now part of Great Park Shul
Later Bill Torbitt ? another character of note ? eg Matric prelims exam question:
?Set and answer your own exam question!? ? I used a toilet roll to demonstrate Newton?s laws of motion and the coefficient of friction!
Afrikaans: Mev (Engelbrect of Niemand )?
Personal Classic Incident of the Year:
Stillerman Vs The BossAfrikaans teacher on finding out that no one had done their homework:
You will all please go to the Principal?s office. (Not sure how and why events took this drastic turn?)All assembled in the Boss?s office
The Boss: You will all stay in after school today. Has anyone got anything to say?
Stillerman: Yes Sir
The Boss (Angry): OK. All please leave my office except Stillerman.
Stillerman you can stay behind. (there may have been someone else in on this???)
All Leave
The Boss (Indignant): Stillerman, what do you have to say?
Stillerman (Bold but Polite): Sir. The SRC Constitution says you have to give us 24 hours notice for a detention! It?s not fair to keep us in on the same day ? for the parents coming to fetch us, the people playing sport and any others who have activities planned.
The Boss (Incensed): I don?t care WHAT the Constitution says ? this is MY School!
Stillerman (With Bravado): YOUR SCHOOL??!!! THIS IS OUR SCHOOL!!!!
(I may have added something like ? our parents pay the fees which pay you and the teachers ? it is just as much our school as your school!)
A few moments of Stunned silence ?..
The Boss: Stillerman?. You can take your things and go home now?.
Stillerman: Ok. Good-bye.
Exile: Spent a week in exile ? writing a monumental essay on Bismarck and working out my strategy for a case on the Constitution at the Board or wherever?
After a week, my poor folks eventually persuaded me that I needed to go back to school and would have to find some way to approach and apologise to the Boss as best I could.
Made the call and went back to make my peace with Boss ?We actually had a good rapport after that and through matric. I suppose we both must have reluctantly won each others respect and changed somewhat to become a bit more tolerant?
Molefe: Legend has it that Molefe used to have the list of Prefects before they were announced at the Matric Dance. Legend also has it that my name was either removed from the list or had no chance of getting on the coveted list that year!
Once my relationship with Boss mellowed somewhat in Matric, later in the year I was made a Prefect along with Illona and a few others. For some reason this ridiculous colonial institution of ?prefectship? meant a lot to us at the time.
Simultaneously we were developing the SRC as a representative body for students? rather than as another body appointed to do the bidding of the Boss. George and Terry were quite passionate about the Constitution, which they drafted in great depth and breadth ?. (see terry?s bio about the influences going through their minds at the time!)Post Ulpan Adjustment: Understandably many of the Ulpaniks had to come down from the high of 3 month?s free-wheeling in Israel.I became passionate about Israel, intending to return after school, mastering Hebrew, getting others involved, organising Israeli dancing on Chagim and Kumzitzim at Gemmil Park and a range of other activities.
Prominent Israeli visitors in those years included Shimon Peres and Ezer Weitzman. In 1969 Ben Gurion visited ? see 1969 Classics.
Habonim: I became active in Habonim which I found to be a vibrant source of intellectual stimulation, passionate idealism and spirited social interaction. I did Hadracha that year taking a younger group with Judy Daniels at Sydenham Highlands North Shul.
Politics:
Bobby Kennedy made a famous and highly emotional visit to SA, spoke dramatically at Wits, (remember the newspaper reports and pics, although we were a bit young to be involved.
Bobby was assassinated later that year at the Democratic National Convention by Sirhan Sirhan (?). The world seemed shattered by this second major tragedy taking away two Kennedy brothers in their prime.
Martin Luther King?s assassination made this one of the most tragic years in memory, as if great leaders were destined to die young.
Thankfully history bore testimony to the vision and leadership of all these great men.
LBJ was getting the US more deeply involved in Vietnam ? expanding the draft, incessant bombings, reports and pictures of napalm bombs, and the My Lai massacre?
Student protests were mushrooming all over the US, usually coming head to head with baton wielding riot police. Kent State brought all that to a tragic crescendo when riot Police fired live rounds at young students. This turned out to be a major turnig point in public opinion against the war?in the realisation that the might of violence could eventually turned inward against one?s own children?.
SA: Vorster?s Police State becomes more entrenched. Vorster?s Police State entrenched.
Around that time more people are banned; Braam Fischer plants a bomb at the Station
Sport snippetsRugby: Great Tour to Vryheid in Natal (Tevis country)
Athletics: Continued my career, although less meshuga including Cross country, 800m, 1500m, high jump, hurdles.Cricket Tours: remember some of the great tests at the Wanderers
Friends: Barry Judelman, Colin Shapiro, David Lowenstein; Habonim: Dave Aronowitz, Teddy Cohen, Locky Milner
Girls of the Year: Heather Mio, Hillary Milunsky, Vivienne Goldschmidt
Hot Chicks: The Form 3?s ? all young beautiful and nubile to us older guys! Some names: Hillary Millunsky, Deanne Garb (David?s sister), Karen Wasilewsky (Hilton?s sister), Jenny Orelowitz (Denise?s sister) (later married Rodney Unterslak in a full-on Lubavitch home, sheitel, a bevy of kids, and the whole story) and Karen Katz (Form 2)
Music of the Year: listened to lots of Simon and Garfunkel with Dvid Lowenstein, Bob Dylan?s double album with Colin Shapiro and Israeli music. Played a bit of guitar.
Play: Arms and the Man (George Bernard Shaw?)
Leads: Raymond Druker; Headgirl (later became a psychologist)????
Backstage with Jeff Miller
Incident: Pressed the bell backstage before they pushed the button on stage!
Teachers: Pretty much the same as Form 4
English: Mrs Cohen
Afrikaans? Mev Angelbrecht again?
Hebrew: Nili Amiel
Maths: Peewee Pierce
Science: Uro?
Mechanics: Torbit (make up your own exam question!)Was made a Prefect around April. Helped organise Prayers in the Hall, while insisting that Prayer?s should be voluntary from at least Form 3, so that those who attend would be committed and involved.
I am very proud that I and many others learned to read and understand the prayers in Hebrew, and to ?Daven? in front of a group. To this day, it gives me great pleasure to Daven in a Shul with the Kavana (sincerity) and understanding I learnt at KDS. When very religious people ask me where I learned to Daven, expecting me to say this or that Yeshiva, I get a great thrill out of saying King David!
Speech night was a highlight. The Boss was a bit disappointing. I won a Special Jewish Interest Prize ? Martin Gilbert?s Bible Atlas.
Enjoyed Rabbi Goss?s speeches later in my school years ? began to appreciate that he was a great thinker and left us a wonderful legacy of balanced Modern Judaism ? and that it was essential to be a Good Human Being to be a Good Jew.
Tu Bishvat: Planted 6 trees at the pool area ? hope these are still giving shade for the 40th Reunion.
SportRugby: Played 1sts on the flank ? like a meshugena threw by my whole body into every minute of every game ? ah for the satisfaction! And a few broken vertebrae to this day!
Enjoyed Rugby Songs and the spirit of rugged camaraderie on the buses. (not exactly the esprit de corpes the Boss had in mind!).I think I remember the tune ?B?s to your partner A?s to the Wall; If you never been f..d on a Saturday night; You?ve never been f..d at All!? for Mrs Sadovsky gives us the sh?ts; bouncing on the chandeliers and bouncing on her t?ts?!)
Athletics: Enjoyed the Sports and House Spirit as a member of Maccabi (Blue). Furious rivalries against Weizman (Maroon); Bar Kochba (White) and Sachs (Green).
Herzlia Tour was one of the highlights ? as much for the excitement of the train journey as the games in the rainy windy Cape Town at that time of year.
Momentous Occasions of the Year:One of the Wonders of our Time: Man on the Moon:Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin,.(Why is it the 3rd guy is not as well remembered?). Watched the landing the American Information Centre, in Commissioner Street, with George and Terry
Ben Gurion came to visit the School.
I was privileged to be one of a few to ask him a question in Hebrew. I asked him what I thought would be one of the most vital questions in the history of the State of Israel:
?Ha-im Ha-plitim barchu me-ha-aretz o she-anachnu dachafnu otam??
?Did the Palistinian refugees flee from Israel or did we chase them out??
If I recall correctly, he was initially somewhat taken aback, then quite emotional and then forthright in insisting that the refugees had fled of their own accord? (expecting to come back very soon to reclaim their homes).
Well, history didn?t quite turn out that way. I believe it is vital for Israel and Jews to confront the reality that we did in fact displace what became a few million people and that we need to redress the refugee problem as one of the requirements of a lasting peaceful solution.
Play of the year: Romeo and Juliet with Les Ossip, Hilton Freinkel, (can?t remember who was Romeo) and Marcel Wolke I think as Juliet. Les had a broken leg, but the show went on and Hilton famously said on stage ?How?s the leg Les?. I was part of the Backstage crew again with Jeff Miller and others. Jeff says the producer was Bill Torbitt ? I think he?s right, as the whole thing was quite meshuga and avante garde at the same time!1969 was the year of Woodstock although I don?t think many of us knew about it at the time.The music of the time was legend and many aspects of the cultural revolution are still prevalent today.
Matric Dance: The theme was Dock of the Bay by Percy Sledge?. Enter soul music, Otis Reading and others.
Friends: Barry, George, Elaine, Sahar Jameson, Michelle Goldstein
Girlfriend of the Year: Vivienne Goldschmidt ? quite a passionate love affair. She asked me to the Hostel dance in Form 4 and I loved her emotional, intellectual and physical beauty. We went to her home in Welkom for the mid-year holidays, met the folks and the romance continued the whole year.
Started an Habonim Linksfield Group called Gedud Simchah with the Forms 1?s: eg. Sharon Barber, Marcel Wolke, my cousin Shirley Nissenbaum, Jeff Kawalsky, David Shak, Roy Milunsky and others.
Matric: swotted like crazy for those exams ? a great foundation for future studies which I came to appreciate in later years at varsity.
Attended interviews for a Bursary to study in Israel, which I was very excited to be awarded.
Decided at this point to go on Aliyah in 1970 with the Habonim ?Garin? which included Michelle Hellman.
Habonim Camp was a highlight ? Hermanus and Onrust are beautiful parts of the world and the camp spirit was very worthwhile. The theme was ?HAGSHAMA?: ?Realisation ?. (of one?s ideals)?. The theme song went ?Avodah, our picks and shovels Hagshamah? ? quite poignant for those about to begin realising their ideals by going on Aliyah.
The year ended with a dramatic Mifkad Eish on the Beach at the Habonim Campsite: a banner on high poles at the edge of the sea, blazoned with Hagshama and 1970!
1958-1969: King David School Years
Reflections and Synopsis:
Some of the Things King David gave me?and I?m sure I speak for many of us:
The ability to read?. Intelligently, critically and with appreciation in English, Afrikaans and Hebrew;
The ability to write? and express ourselves creatively, accurately and even persuasively in the written word
The ability to speak ? and communicate with confidence in the Queen?s English (and various other dialects)
The ability to master a wide range of academic disciplines on the solid foundations of core skills in maths, science, languages, history, health, some geography, some biology, some accounting, and even some ?manual training? technical skills.
The academic foundation gave me / us a real competitive edge in later academic studies in many disciplines both in SA and overseas.
A sense of justice and ethics
A social conscience, starting in Primary School with a weekly routine ?think of others?
A sense of pro-activism ? taking charge of one?s own life
A great sense of self-esteem and confidence
Awareness of current affairs
The ability to pray, read and understand the Siddur, the Torah and the Prophets in Hebrew and English
The ability to understand and begin to deal with some of the key existential issues in life from an early age
Good exposure to social interaction both among guys and with girls
Lots of good sport and good fun
Appreciation to parents for making the effort and sacrifices to send us to a really great school
Appreciation to teachers for having the patience to put up with (some of ) us and help us to get a privileged start in life!
A sense of pride in where we have come from; and confidence in where we are going.
As it says in Pirkei Avot:
?Da Me-ayin Bata, u-lean Ata Holech?.
?Know from where you have come, and to where you are going?
Swimming Gala 1969
92796p 1969 Gala Courtesy Eric Stilleman
Front row sitting and kneeling (L-R) Steven Barnett, Cynthia Fogel, Zchia Ozen, Alan Kaplan, Eric Stillerman, Rene Dembo, Tevis Shapiro, Michelle Hellman, Selwyn Feldman.
2Nd row (L-R) Hymie Behr, Brenda Miller, Jack (y) Milner, Chonni Becker, Michael Mark, Elana Nafte, Sam James, Russel Friedman, Raymond Freedman and his wife, Morris Kruger, Michael Katz.
Top (L-R) Stanley Seeff, Leslie Singer, Martin Dogon.
93305p Johannesburg reunion by the pool September 24th 2009 King David School KDS 69 Courtesy Russel Friedman