The Challenge

Ben-Gurion visits a youth centre in Leeds in this promotional film for the Youth & Hechalutz Department of the Jewish Agency in London

This promotional film for the Youth & Hechalutz Department of the Jewish Agency in London highlights initiatives for young Jewish people in 1960s Britain. A youth centre in Leeds is honoured with a visit from Israel’s first prime minister David Ben-Gurion, while a group of teenagers embark on a special programme living and working on a kibbutz in Israel. Their adventure is interrupted by the outbreak of the Six-Day War, prompting a crush of young men signing up to fight for Israel; a swift and decisive victory meant that their services were not ultimately required.