of Boiberke, is a leading ember of the Tnuva-Export Council.
Beril Becker, of the Kvutza Ramath Yohanan and his younger brother Arieh, of the Kibutz Mishmar Haemek, are two outstanding experts on sheep breeding, (Berill has written several books on that subject); Peishe Kramer Molcho, is still with the Ruthenberg Electric Company. And the late Morris or Moishe Leib Zuch, was one of the builders of the Kibutz Bath Alpha. All in all, I should say that it was a very considerable return for he comparatively small investment. I am certain that others of that original group contributed in equal measure to Israel's growth.
From Vienna Haber and Helfer proceeded to Boiberke, where they met with the local committee to which they handed over the $5000, less the money which they expended for the train tickets for the Boiberker halutzim to Trieste.
In connection with the interest which Hersh Gross took in the Boiberker halutzim who were stranded in Vienna, it is worth-while noting that he followed in the footstep of his father and grandfather. They were both musicians and played at weddings in Boiberke and elsewhere. The father played the clarinet and the grandfather played the cello. But on Saturdays they used to go from house to house in Boiberke collecting fresh white bread (or Chales) for the poor of the town.
When Hersh settled in New York, he tried to be help to the Boiberker townspeople here in America in a more modern way. He would do the correspondence on his Yiddish typewriter for families in Boiberke, especially in cases where the townsman might tend to forget his family left behind in Boiberke. Thus he helped to hold together families which otherwise might have drifted apart. Hersh helped others, unfortunately he could not help himself in the same family respect. He died young and mourned by all who knew him.
Hersh Gross was also known as the founder of the musical band in New York which was known for several decades as the Boiberker Kapelie.
The Boiberker Relief committee in the United States was dedicated to the raising of funds for Maoth Chitim matzos for Passover and prior to every Jewish New year it sent money for the neediest in the town. Which usually meant for the poor. This we kept up until the year 1936, when complaints began to reach New York that the committee in Boiberke was showing partiality in distributing the funds received from the United States. When the complaints persisted, Sam Herbst upon learning of a Boiberker lady who was about to visit the town, appealed to her that during her stay in Boiberke she should look into the matter. She promised to keep her mission secret, as it was nobody's intention to accuse anyone of the committee in Boiberke. Upon the lady's return to the United States it was decided, on the basis of her report, that henceforth all gifts were to be sent direct to the needy individuals in Boiberke. This procedure remedied the situation and put a stop to the complaints.
At a meeting in the home of Lena Gross-Turkel in New York, the Boiberker ladies assumed the responsibility of charge of the Relief Organization, and the following officers were elected:
Also present at the meeting were: Helen Katz-Lusthaus; Jeanne Meth-Philips; Anna Spitzbard-Chapman; The two other Paget Sisters and the sister of Chaya Eisenstein;President, Lena Gross Turkel;
Vice president, Lena Baumgarten;
Financial secretary, Florence Zweben;
Recording secretary, Ray Paget-Hornik;
Co-Treasurers, Anna Paget-Rabinowitz and Chaya Eisenstein
The relief committee was active until the outbreak of World War II (September 1939), when all communications with Boiberke was cut off. But the secretary, Florence Zweben, received several requests from Boiberker who fled the town and found themselves in neutral lands. The secretary with the assistance of Mrs. Julius Katz and her sister Mrs. Samuel Bergwek, who helped to make food parcels for the needy who fled from Boiberke.
The secretary tried to find out Boiberker wherever possible and offer them assistance. When I left for the 21th world Zionist Congress where I represented th