From as early as 1928, the Kadimah had its own youth wing, which became known as the Kadimah Youth Organisation (KYO) in 1946.[1] It was in the post-Holocaust era that this movement became most active as a Jewish organization. While the KYO was one of the earliest Jewish youth organizations in Melbourne, it existed within a realm of Jewish youth movements, such as Habonim, a labour Zionist movement established in 1940, and the modern Orthodox B’nei Akiva, which was founded in 1949.[2] The various political Jewish youth movements of Melbourne, along with the KYO, were members of their own Melbourne Jewish Youth Council (MJYC).[3]
The KYO was supposed to be an apolitical cultural organization, but it soon became evident that its members were not apolitical. The movement gained a strong relationship with the ‘Eureka League’, the Australia Youth Organisation, which was a political, left-wing movement. The two movements joined together for summer camps and various events. In some instances, the movements invited Communist speakers to their functions.[4]
This caused concern in 1951, as a change in the Kadimah committee occurred. In this very year, the left-wing, or rather Communist, members of the Kadimah leadership were removed. This was due to their position on the situation of how Jews were being treated in Soviet-Russia during this period.[5] This change in leadership was not a coincidence. The leadership of the Kadimah, at this time, comprised of several members of the Bund, a socialist, Yiddish-oriented, non-Zionist movement. As an indication of the Bundist influence over the Kadimah, in 1953, out of fourteen committee members, seven of these members were Bundists. [6] The Bund was known to be anti-Communist, due to tensions with the Communists in revolutionary Russia. Supported by the Kadimah leadership who were either apolitical or conservative, the leadership of the Kadimah brought about a change in the organization. Together, unlike the Communist faction of the Kadimah leadership, these committee members understood the need for the Kadimah to remain an apolitical organization.
The new leadership of the Kadimah attempted to remind the KYO of its original purpose: to act as an apolitical, cultural Jewish organization.[7] However, the KYO refused to abandon its political activity, deciding in 1951 to send a representative to the upcoming International Youth Festival, which was to be held in East Berlin.[8] As such, a general meeting was held in August 1951 at the Kadimah. It was at this meeting that it was decided to disband the KYO. It became clear that an apolitical youth organization at the Kadimah would not be possible, particularly in light of the growing number of political Jewish youth movements that were being established in Melbourne at this time.[9]
The KYO was supposed to be an apolitical cultural organization, but it soon became evident that its members were not apolitical. The movement gained a strong relationship with the ‘Eureka League’, the Australia Youth Organisation, which was a political, left-wing movement. The two movements joined together for summer camps and various events. In some instances, the movements invited Communist speakers to their functions.[4]
This caused concern in 1951, as a change in the Kadimah committee occurred. In this very year, the left-wing, or rather Communist, members of the Kadimah leadership were removed. This was due to their position on the situation of how Jews were being treated in Soviet-Russia during this period.[5] This change in leadership was not a coincidence. The leadership of the Kadimah, at this time, comprised of several members of the Bund, a socialist, Yiddish-oriented, non-Zionist movement. As an indication of the Bundist influence over the Kadimah, in 1953, out of fourteen committee members, seven of these members were Bundists. [6] The Bund was known to be anti-Communist, due to tensions with the Communists in revolutionary Russia. Supported by the Kadimah leadership who were either apolitical or conservative, the leadership of the Kadimah brought about a change in the organization. Together, unlike the Communist faction of the Kadimah leadership, these committee members understood the need for the Kadimah to remain an apolitical organization.
The new leadership of the Kadimah attempted to remind the KYO of its original purpose: to act as an apolitical, cultural Jewish organization.[7] However, the KYO refused to abandon its political activity, deciding in 1951 to send a representative to the upcoming International Youth Festival, which was to be held in East Berlin.[8] As such, a general meeting was held in August 1951 at the Kadimah. It was at this meeting that it was decided to disband the KYO. It became clear that an apolitical youth organization at the Kadimah would not be possible, particularly in light of the growing number of political Jewish youth movements that were being established in Melbourne at this time.[9]