Danny Rosing

Danny Rosing was the father of Sydney Betar. Although he didn’t establish it, it was through his efforts at nurturing and developing it and the people who ran it that Betar Machoz Sydney became the leading Zionist youth movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and this was whilst he was in his late teens and early twenties.

Danny had the uncanny ability to read people and to bring out the best in them. He was also a true leader, able to determine what had to be done and appoint the right people to do it, leaving them to fulfill their tasks without interference. From a personal perspective, Danny gave me, a young, shy, introverted boy, some self-confidence by appointing me as maintenance man for the kerosene lamps used at camps, and later as lighting operator at the Betar revue in 1957.

Danny foresaw that some Betarim, who exhibited great potential, were in danger of being lost to the movement, so he formed the Bnei Kochav group where they could interact together and find a home within that group. This initiative became very successful, and the people in that group thrived and became very successful leaders in their own right, not only in Betar, but also in their later lives, some even receiving Australian honours. They all remain friends to this day.

Danny was equally at home dealing with adults, convincing reluctant parents to allow their children to come to camp and to join Betar. Notably, Danny spoke to Mr and Mrs Kessler, resulting not only in Naomi, and later Clive, joining Betar, but also Mrs Kessler becoming a person of influence in the Jewish community, especially through WIZO. Danny also convinced Mr and Mrs Cohen, both strong anti-zionists, to allow their daughter, Heather, to join Betar. Their son, Peter, joined some years later.

At the time, (1950s to early 1960s) Betar was despised by many in the Jewish community. They thought it too militaristic, and by historic association with the Irgun, terrorists. Many were anti-zionist, fearing that Betar, with its education toward Aliyah, would cause them to lose their children or that Israel was too unsafe a place for them to be. Despite this, Danny was instrumental in convincing the leaders of the Brisbane and Canberra communities that these conceptions were false, and thus opened the way to the establishment of Betar in both those cities. He tried to start Betar in Perth, but found that Habonim was already there, and the city’s Jewish community was too small to support another Zionist youth movement.

Danny’s activities supporting Betar were not confined to Sunday Betar meetings and camps. He formed a Betar basketball team which competed with other Sydney basketball teams. He formed a Betar university club. Most importantly, he organised leadership courses for Betar madrichim at which experts in different fields related to leadership, gave lectures.

With all this activity, Danny found time to complete an engineering degree at UNSW and then to work at Honeywell and OTC (Overseas Telecommunications Commission) before moving to Canada for a year. He then returned to Australia to marry Heather, and then go on Aliyah with her.

Jabotinsky, through his writings, had a profound influence on Danny, whose ideas and ideals he made his own. This is evident in the many reports and letters to the editor he wrote in the Sydney Jewish News and the life he led in Israel.

Despite these achievements, Danny’s attitude toward them was humble. When I visited him in Israel a few years ago, Danny said that he did not think he did anything special. “Oh, no!” I said. “You were ‘Daddy’ Rosing”. And Heather, who was there, agreed.

I only knew Danny for about five years, in the second half of the 1950s. In that time Danny touched the lives of many people, always leaving them better for it. His life was and remains a blessing for all of us who knew him. May his dear soul find rest beneath the wings of the Almighty.

Sid Agranoff

Born in 1935 in Tel Aviv to Sarah and Shraga Rosing, Danny's early life was marked by his parents' divorce and the tumultuous backdrop of WWII. Following his mother's second marriage to Zvi Brender and their subsequent move to London, Danny faced adversity at a Jewish day school in Brighton. Though he learned English during his time there, he endured a challenging environment marred by anti-Semitism. In 1948 Danny went to live with his father, a lawyer in Prague, and from there Danny was sent to the International School of Geneva where he spent two happy years.

Meanwhile Danny’s mother moved to Sydney, Australia, and in December 1950 she sent Danny a ticket to join her. In Sydney he graduated from Sydney Boys High and pursued engineering studies at the UNSW. During this time he joined and became an influential member of Betar, propelling it to prominence within the Zionist youth movements in the 1950s and 1960s.

Danny's natural ability to understand and motivate people made him an exceptional leader. Within Betar he founded the Bnei Kochav group, which initiative proved highly successful, with the members excelling not only within Betar but also throughout their lives. They remain friends to this day.

At the time, despite the negative perceptions surrounding Betar, Danny's persuasive skills and genuine leadership convinced Community leaders in Brisbane and Canberra to embrace the movement, dispelling misconceptions and opening new chapters in those cities.

In 1962 in Sydney, Danny married Heather Cohen, following which they embarked on a journey that took them to Canada where Danny accumulated valuable experience working for Honeywell. After 12 months in Toronto Heather & Danny established Betar in Toronto and Danny was appointed head councillor at Camp Betar New York for two consecutive years. In second half of 1964 Heather and Danny made Aliyah.

On arrival in Israel Danny was employed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) where his first big project was on the Aravah project (the first aeroplane built in Israel). Following the Six Day War (1967) and in the light of the French arms embargo, Israel was forced to develop its own aerospace program. Danny was put in charge of developing the IAI vibration laboratory.

After IAI Danny moved to GTE’s satellite earth station in Emek Haela and GTE sent Danny to Nigeria to work on the satellite station being built there. After two years at GTE Danny transferred to Tadiran who sent him to South Africa for three years. The owner of Ormat Turbines in Yavne, offered Danny a position with the company and within a week Danny was sent to Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. On his return to Israel he was appointed head of marketing in which position he remained for eight years.

From January 1992 to December 2000 Danny was marketing manager for Dead Sea Magnesium, after which he worked in various consultative position on the use of magnesium.

In July 2023 Danny moved to a protected village in Kfar Saba. Sadly, the move overwhelmed him and shortly after his move he suffered a fatal stroke.

Danny’s family, his wife Heather and five children, Tamar, Thom, Yael, Tanya, and Gidon, played an integral role in his life, creating a close-knit and supportive unit. Heather passed away in January 2019. They have nine grandchildren.

Danny Rosing's story is one of resilience, leadership, and commitment to the Zionist cause, leaving an indelible mark on the communities he touched throughout his life. His journey serves as an inspiration to all those who strive to make a positive impact in their respective fields and communities.

Peter Keeda

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