Ben-Zion Patkin

Born in Tatarsk, Russia, in 1902, he received a traditional cheder education until the age of nine, after which he attended Russian gymnasia in Kaluga Mstislavl and Moscow. In 1917 he joined the Zionist youth organisation Akhdut Utkhiyah and was elected to its committee that same year. Later he joined Hehalutz Gehaver and Maccabi. In 1920, when he was a student at Moscow University, he was elected to Maccabi's Moscow committee and in 1922 to its all-Russian executive.

In 1924 he arrived in Eretz Israel, and together with same 40 other Halutzim from - Russia he formed the nucleus of Havurat Hadarom in Ness-Ziona, a collective Stoup ; for training workers for road construction, house-building, agriculture and other occupations. He reorganised the local Maccabi branch and represented it at national conferences. In 1925 he was invited to join the guard of honour at the opening of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Benzion married Hemda Shani in 1929 and the same year arrived in Melbourne. His uncles, Maurice and Aaron Patkin, both of whom had been active Mensheviks in pre-Soviet Russia, preceded him to Melbourne in 1908 and 1927 respectively. Another link with that city was his family tie with Sidney Myer. Benzion's paternal grandmother was the sister of Myer's maternal grandfather.

Benzion and Hemda became the parents of two children, Nehama, now a well ¬known musician, and Michael, a surgeon.

Patkin's contributions to the Jewish community were varied and considerable. In 1936 he co-founded both the Victorian Zionist Organisation and the State Zionist Council of Victoria. The latter elected him an honorary life member in 1970. In 1936 he helped to establish the Australian Friends of the Hebrew University, and also the Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1962 he served as the latter's senior vice-president. In 1937 he initiated and sponsored the first visit of the Eretz Israel Maccabi soccer team to Australia. From that year onwards he was instrumental in the development of trade between Australia and Eretz Israel.

From 1938-49 Benzion was senior vice-president of the International Club of Victoria. In 1940 he founded the Pro-Magen David Adorn Society, and from 1946-48 he was Australian correspondent of the Eretz Israel daily newspaper Haboker. From 1931-47 he held office in the Keren Hayesod as, successively, honorary secretary, vice¬president and treasurer. He was president of Brit Ivrit Olamit, Victoria, from 1958-59 and again in 1962, its federal president from 1962-82, and its honorary life president since 1982. He was a member of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation's Board of Management, 1951-53. He was vice-president of the Jewish National Library, Kadimah, 1951-54, and its president, 1955-58 . From 1966-69 he was an executive member of the United Nations Association of Australia, Victorian division. In 1982 he received the B'nai B'rith Menorah Award. From 1932 Benzion was a delegate to the various Zionist Federation conferences held in Australia, and at these he advocated the establishment of a Hebrew Day School, his great vision which was realised in 1947 with the foundation of Mount Scopus College. He served as its first president from 1948-52. The full story of the college, arguably the most outstanding of all his communal achievements, is told in his book Heritage and Tradition (1972).

He was a wise, kind, gracious gentleman, with an impish sense of humour and a keen, incisive mind. He was equally concerned with Eretz Israel (where he now lies buried) as with Diaspora Jewry.

Benzion Patkin passed away in Melbourne on 25 April, 1984 at the age of 82. He was active in the Australian Jewish Historical Society, as in so many other communal institutions, until the very end of his long, interesting and worthy life.