Page 140 - ראשונים להעז
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Introduction
At noon on Thursday, 6 April 1944, a large crowd filled the hall of Yeshurun
Central Synagogue in Jerusalem. The presence of the two chief rabbis, the leaders
of the Jewish Agency and the National Committee, and representatives of the
national institutions, alongside military officers and British government officials
attested to the special event about to take place. Another indication of the nature
of the occasion was the diverse dress of those gathered: some in civilian garb,
others in the uniforms of different units of the British military and others in khaki
and Australian-type hats – notrim (supernumerary policemen), members of the
Jewish Settlements Police.
The cantor went up to the dais and began reading from Psalms, Chapter 119.
He began with the verses beginning with the letter aleph, followed by those
beginning with vav, and then resh and dalet (the Hebrew letters that spell out
the name Orde). This was a memorial service for Major-General Orde Charles
Wingate, a Christian officer in the British army, who has been killed in a plane
crash in Burma two weeks earlier. Later in the ceremony, eulogies were delivered,
Wingate's favorite Bible verses were read and a prayer was recited by the Chief
Rabbi, who referred to Orde Wingate as a "Righteous Gentile."1
This ceremony was only one of the expressions of grief over Wingate's death
in the pre-state Jewish community. David Ben-Gurion, who received the news
while delivering a speech to the Emergency Rescue Fund conference, asked the
1 Memorial for Wingate with participation of soldiers and notrim, Davar, 7 April 1944.
139
At noon on Thursday, 6 April 1944, a large crowd filled the hall of Yeshurun
Central Synagogue in Jerusalem. The presence of the two chief rabbis, the leaders
of the Jewish Agency and the National Committee, and representatives of the
national institutions, alongside military officers and British government officials
attested to the special event about to take place. Another indication of the nature
of the occasion was the diverse dress of those gathered: some in civilian garb,
others in the uniforms of different units of the British military and others in khaki
and Australian-type hats – notrim (supernumerary policemen), members of the
Jewish Settlements Police.
The cantor went up to the dais and began reading from Psalms, Chapter 119.
He began with the verses beginning with the letter aleph, followed by those
beginning with vav, and then resh and dalet (the Hebrew letters that spell out
the name Orde). This was a memorial service for Major-General Orde Charles
Wingate, a Christian officer in the British army, who has been killed in a plane
crash in Burma two weeks earlier. Later in the ceremony, eulogies were delivered,
Wingate's favorite Bible verses were read and a prayer was recited by the Chief
Rabbi, who referred to Orde Wingate as a "Righteous Gentile."1
This ceremony was only one of the expressions of grief over Wingate's death
in the pre-state Jewish community. David Ben-Gurion, who received the news
while delivering a speech to the Emergency Rescue Fund conference, asked the
1 Memorial for Wingate with participation of soldiers and notrim, Davar, 7 April 1944.
139
