“EVERYBODY UP – GET DRESSED! INSPECTION IN 15 MINUTES ON THE PARADE GROUND! – WITH ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT – BEDS AND MATTRESSES TOO !”
This dreaded 2 a.m. order, given now and then, was just to keep us on our blistered toes and was part of
our lives. Days were long and tiring. Hebrew lessons included, and sleep was always top priority.
A 2 a.m. Surprise inspection was the last thing we needed.
Only when seven of the eight guys in our tent were up and moving, did we realize that the “order” had
come from number eight, still in dreamland: Harold Kaufman, a known “sleep talker”, even from far away
Habonim camp days (in South Africa) – had given the order, quite unaware of the frantic activities in our
tent…
We all collapsed back to bed, muttering and moaning, thinking what we would do to Harold that morning to
get even …