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Name:

Sid Agranoff

Married to:

Sylvia

Children:

Where I live:

East Killara, Sydney

Paddington, Sydney, then Bondi, Sydney

What I did for a living:

Retired Analytical Chemist (now retired)

B.Sc.

Virtually all in Sydney since Woronora I and

 Woori Yallock in 1958

Years in Betar:

1954 to 1966.

Positions held:

Hurricane Lamp cleaner extraordinaire;

 Storeman; Gizbar Maschoz Sydney; Gizbar

 Hanhaga Artzit

Some of my leaders:

Brian Addess, Danny Rosing, Larry Sitsky Brian

 Addess was my first madrich at 18 Lang Rd

 Centennial park.

I originally attended Habonim for a few weeks,

 but I felt left out and the people were unfriendly.

 I then went to Betar, (1954) because my

 brother was a former Betari in China. The first

 thing that happened was that Vernon

 Kronenberg went out of his way to shake my

 hand, introduce himself, and welcome me. I

 immediately felt at home and I stayed for the

 next 12 years.

In 1956, I was invited to join a newly formed

 B’nei Etzel by Bob Sitsky. We had moved then

 to Wolsely Rd, Point Piper and Danny Rosing

 took the group. Present at that first meeting

 were two new girls, Heather Cohen and

 Stephanie Singer.

Some of my contemporaries:

Peter Wagner, Bob Sitsky, Ian Groden, Naomi

 Kessler, Henry Briggs, Miriam Deston.

Later, Helen Meyer (note correct spelling!), Alf

 van der Poorten, Clive Kessler, Peter Cohen,

 Henry Bishopverder, John Ziegler, Ina Klein,

 Renee Klein, Shula Rosenfeld, Dov Rosenfeld,

 Ari Grajcar, Jan Poddebsky, Les Berger, Diana

 (Minky) Fabian.

Those I see now:

Diana Fabian, Ian Groden, Vicky Zac, Agnes

 Kainer. Leah Sonnabend lives down the road

 from me. I am in mail contact with Henry

 Bishopverder and Helen Meyer. I used to see

 Millie Savdie but she died quite some time ago.

To come. The two most significant events in my

life were:

o  Larry Sitsky performs at the Betar revue

 (1959?). I don’t think he has ever forgiven me

 for what happened there.

o  The trip to prep camp at Cattai (1955-56).

I teach computers to Seniors (volunteer work). I

 am also learning Yiddish which I haven’t

 spoken since I was a small child. Until recently,

 I did Israeli dancing for nearly 20 years, but I

 think I am getting too old for it now. I also follow

 the Sydney Kings basketball team. They are

 now in the finals and they are last year’s

 champions. I am also involved with the RACI

 (Royal Australian Chemical Institute)

 Consultants and Contractors group, although I

 am neither a consultant nor a contractor. They

 recently made me a life member, so I must be

 doing something right.

This is the most marvellous and fantastic thing

 to have happened. Kol hakavod to Harry, Aaron

 and John.

I only have a few. To my lasting shame, I deeply

 regret that my not inconsiderable collection of

 Betar photos were destroyed by mildew due to

 poor storage.

Please contact me:

Email Aaron first who will get in touch

with me.