41 Facts About Betar

Betar Movement, spelled Beitar, is a Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Vladimir Jabotinsky.

Today, Betar promotes Jewish leadership on university campuses as well as in local communities.

Across Europe, Betar militias played major roles in independently resisting Nazi forces and their various assaults on Jewish communities.

Betar was founded by Ze'ev Jabotinsky at a meeting of Jewish youth in Riga, Latvia, arranged by Aaron Propes in 1923.

Betar believed that these incidents, indicative of serious threats to the Jewish Palestinians, could only be addressed by the recreation of the ancient Jewish state of Israel, extending across the entirety of both Palestine and Jordan.

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The words of Shir Betar, written by Jabotinsky, include a line that quotes Trumpeldor's last words of "never mind".

Militia groups organized by Betar Poland helped to defend against attacks by the anti-Semitic ONR.

In total, Betar was responsible for the entrance of over 40,000 Jews into Palestine under such restrictions.

Betar was the secretary of the prominent Betar Warsaw organization in 1938.

Betar left it to join and quickly take leadership of the left-wing Zionist Hashomer Hatzair group in Warsaw.

Betar was denounced by local peasants who turned him over to the Gestapo in Hrubieszow.

Jewish fighters under the leadership of Josef Glazman, head of Betar Lithuania, battled the Nazis alongside the Lithuanian partisans in the forests outside Vilnius; anti-Nazi partisans in most other nations were unwilling to fight alongside Betar.

Tactics of the Irgun-Betar coalition were at odds with the mainstream Zionist establishment's policy of restraint in response to Arab attacks.

Many of Israel's most prominent conservatives have been "graduates" of Betar, including former prime ministers Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, and Ehud Olmert, and former Defense Minister Moshe Arens.

Since the 1970s, Betar has suffered a decline in membership and activities.

Once a vibrant movement tied to the opposition Herut Party, Betar's following in Israel has declined since the 1970s due to a generally transformed political landscape.

Betar has worked in Toronto and Montreal with off-campus organizations, such as the Canadian Coalition for Democracies, to promote the importance of secular and participatory politics in Canada.

Betar-Tagar was active in Montreal and Toronto during the 1980s Lebanon-Israel conflict.

At McGill University in March 2007, Betar Montreal held a "Radical Islam Awareness Week" similar to the one at the University of Toronto the year before.

The first activity of Betar USA was a Hanukkah party alongside local branches which existed already in eastern New York and the Lower East Side.

Betar maintains a Shaliach in New York City and Cleveland, Ohio.

Betar strongly promotes the emigration of American Jews to Israel.

Betar UK existed in the late 1930s but had ceased functioning when the state of Israel was established.

Yisrael Medad of the World Betar Movement arrived in the UK in 1975 and built a winter camp at Sherborne School in Dorset, England, a summer camp in north-west France, and a two-week summer camp in Israel.

Betar shared offices with the Herut Movement at 73, Compayne Gardens, London, at the "Tel Chai House".

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When that property was sold, Betar held its meetings at various locations in Stamford Hill and other Greater London areas.

Betar lost its registered charity status in 2004 when the Charity Commission for England and Wales stated that Betar "appeared to be in furtherance of a political purpose rather than a charitable purpose".

Betar Australia is an active movement with branches in Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland.

Betar Australia is a member of the Australasian Zionist Youth Council.

Betar Australia was initially established in Melbourne and branched out to New South Wales and Queensland.

Later, in 1953, Betar expanded to Sydney where Betar NSW was established by Jewish immigrants from China such as their first mefaked Hans Dreyer and Bob Shteinman.

Further, Betar expanded to Canberra and Brisbane, although the Canberra branch did not continue to stay active.

Betar Australia holds annual seminars for senior members as well as educational and training conventions for its senior leaders.

Betar has been at the forefront of Jewish activism in Australia.

Betar Australia began protesting Nazi supporters and sympathizers in 1952, when it released pigeons and stink bombs during a concert by allegedly pro-Nazi German pianist Walter Gieseking in Melbourne.

In later years, Betar Australia took the initiative to organize community protests outside the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra during the Gulf War and outside the Iranian Embassy to protest Iranian state sponsorship of terrorism.

In 2004, Betar Sydney was active in protesting Dr Hanan Ashrawi's receiving of the Sydney Premier's peace prize.

Betar Australia sends several members to Israel's hasbarah programs each year.

Betar Brasil is an active movement with branches in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo.

Betar has gained significant strength in Brazil by the end of the 2010s decade and seems to continue growing considerably.

The revival of Betar Brasil was only possible with the help of Juliana Katz, Yael Gitelman, Mono Sommer, and Nerya Meir.