Patkin, Benzion
Personal Papers Archives
Authority Biography/Administrative HistoryBenzion Patkin 1902 - 1984, Zionist pioneer and Melbourne communal personality with an especial interest in Hebrew as the common language of the Jewish people, had an extensive collection of documents which, until his death, were available to but few researchers. Mr Patkin offered copies of items thought to be irretrievably lost to the Archive.
The late Benzion Patkin was born in Tartarsk, Russia in 1902 and arrived in Eretz Israel in 1924. He migrated to Australia in 1929 after marrying Hemda Shani, who outlived him by a good twenty years, living in Melbourne.
Patkin had an extraordinary talent for organisation, having co-founded the Australian Friends of the Hebrew University (1936), the Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1936), initiated trade with Israel in 1936 and sponsored the first visit of the Eretz Israel Maccabi Soccer team to Australia. Patkin also was involved with tmnay other Jewish organisations and wrote several books including The Dunera Internees, and a book on Mount Scopus College. At the time of his death in the 1980s, he was writing book on Australian zionism. The book was never finished, though, since that time, Eliyahu Honig has written on Australian zionism in the 1930s and Bernard Hyams has written on the earlier period. There is room for more books on this topic. The Archive is in the process of copying Australian material preserved in the Central Zionist Archives. Unfortunately it is a very expensive exercise.
From 1932 Patkin continued to be a delegate to the Zionist conferences in Australia and overseas, being very much involved with that movement like his uncle Aaron Patkin, who was very active in the movement all his life and edited The Zionist.
Benzion Patkin was involved in trade as well as in civic life and several more Jewish organisations, and was a founder of Mount Scopus School.His widow, Hemda Patkin, gave her husband's papers to the Archive over a number of years. She died in August 2003.
ProvenancePATKIN, Benzion (PATKINB)
Dates(s)1927 to 1983
Scope & ContentThe Benzion Patkin Collection contains correspondence and papers relating to a wide range of activities with which Patkin was involved, associated and contributed. It includes the Brit Ivrit Olamit, Zionst Federation of Austalia and New Zealand and Australian State Zionist Councils reports, press releases and statements, invitations to events, adverts, consitutions and resolutions, questionaires, telegrams, financial information, letters of correspondence and minutes of meetings. Furthermore, the collection also contains Magen David Adom reports, telegrams, financial information, letters of correspondence, press releases and statements, adverts, letters, badges and inventory manifests. There are also letters, notes and papers written and typed by Benzion Patkin as well as newspaper articles that he has written or that are about him; Moreover, there are stories from Holocaust surviors and prisoners from the Dunera prison ship. There are also newspaper clippings and newspapers that pertain to various Zionist causes and events as well as Benzion's letters to editors of Jewish newspapers. Also included are essays from various individuals, Journals, subscription pricing information, cheques, invitations, curriculum vitae, learning materials that teach Hebrew, magazines, posters, photos of individuals and orgnanizations and advertisments and bulletins from Zionist causes. Some documents in the collection are drafts that have their published version included. Some documents in this collection provide information on the inner workings of Zionist Organisation, such as minutes and records of early Zionist Federation meetings believed to have been lost. Minutes, Vic. State Zionist Council 1978-1983, and Zionist Federation 1970-1978. Various letters, 1934-1936; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra 1936-1983; trade with Israel papers. 3 minute books of Brit Ivrit Olamit 1962-1981. First visit of Maccabi-Eretz Israel Soccer Team to Australia (1939); International Club (1939 - 1955). Tatura memorabilia, 1942-1943 +"Fragments of the 'Tatura' Story." The series is a way of "evidencing and memorialising" his life, activities, interests, contributions, involvement, experiences, relationships with others and to portray his identity, significance, role and position in the Jewish community.
Browse Hierarchy
