Harry Furst

Harry Furst (originally called Sevi Yehuda Furst born approx 21 September 1888, Bierz, Russia, died 1957 at 68 in Cathcart.) was a 'Drapery Warehouseman' and prominent Zionist activist in Glasgow.

One of the Glasgow revisionists was Harry Furst, a former member of Poale Zion, who had served with Jabotinsky during the First World War in a Jewish army unit. He was joined by a small group of young people, including Harry Crivan, a scientist who after the Second World War became President of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council.

• 1905 - 'Born in Lithuania he came to Scotland at an early age and was one of the pioneer Zionists in Glasgow and an active worker for the Jewish National Fund. He was a founder-member of the Glasgow branch of Poale Zion in 1905. and for many years was is Chairman and latterly its Hon. President.
• 1911 - First appearance in census data in Scotland is in 1911 at the age of 24, living in the Gorbals with his mother Annie (52) and sibllings Tilly (20), Clara (22), Solomon (18) and Gertrude (15). The previous adult male in the household was Solomon Furst Sr who was 58 at the 1901 census. Solomon died in Ayr in 1909 at the age of 54, presumably prompting Harry to come to Glasgow to look after the family.
• 1914 - 'In 1914 Mr. Furst went to Palestine where he worked as a pioneer.'
• 1917 - 'He returned to London in 1917 with the late Vladimir Jabotinsky to advocate the creation of Jewish units to serve with Field-Marshal Allenby's army in the campaign against the Turks. When these were formed he joined the 1st Jewish Battalion (38th Royal Fusiliers) and was appointed to the recruiting office in Jerusalem. A powerful platform speaker, Mr. Furst was sincere and outspoken and was a highly respected figure in the Zionist and Labour movements in Great Britain and the Yishuv'.
• 1914-18 - The Beit Hagdudim (Jewish Legion Museum) in Israel holds short biographies and pictures of Scottish participants in the Jewish Battalion including Charles Black, Alexander Berger, N. Walport, Isadore Most, and Ephraim Myer Naftalin. Jabotinsky mentions Harry First as an ardent Zionist and promoter of the Battalion, and both Jabotinsky and Colonel Patterson praise Lieutenant Lipsey for his work recruiting among Palestinian Jews. See Jabotinsky, The Story of the Jewish Legion, pp. 64, 75-76, 114; SJAC, OHP3 Misha Louvish; Patterson, With the Judeans, p. 60.
• 1921 -
• 1922 - Naturalised in 1922 giving the address of 239 Langside Road, Glasgow and occupation as Warehouseman. Parents listed as Solomon Furst (Mothers maiden name Torrog) and Annie Furst (nee Eilberg, Mother's maiden name: MEYEROVITZ).
• 1924 - Annie died on 5 April 1924 at the same address.

• 1924 - Harry married Tracey Furst (nee Yedd), Blythswood.
• 1932 - Co-founder of the Jewish Socialist League: Braber writes: For the future structure of Jewry Rifkind looked to Socialism. In 1934 he found the Jewish Socialist League to solve “the catastrophe that has taken place in the economic, social and political life of the whole of Jewry”. The League was to participate in all activities of Jewish life in the spirit of International Socialism: “The League must lay stress on inculcating the sense of individual responsibility in each of its members and also in each member of the Jewish race in general; it must elevate the moral standard of Jewish life, and awaken the spirit of sacrifice for the realisation of Jewish needs and ideals.”
• 1940 - Harry lived at 26 Annette Street in Govanhill. and was a tenant at a "Warehouse Etc" at 158 Howard Street in Glasgow. His 47 year old younger brother Solomon was the owner of a house at 17 Titwood Road in Shawlands., a tenant at a house at 57 Bellwood Street in Cathcart, a four minute drive away.. Meanwhile he was also the proprietor of a shop in the Gallowgate near Celtic Park in the East End and a tenant at a shop in Argyle Street, at the West of the city centre.

• 1957 - Obituary: Our GlASGOW CORRESPONDENT writes: Mr. Harry Furst, whose death occurred last week at the age of -68, was one of the stalwarts of the Poale Zion movement in Great Britain. Born in Lithuania he came to Scotland at an early age and was one of the pioneer Zionists in Glasgow and an active worker for the Jewish National Fund. He was a founder-member of the Glasgow branch of Poale Zion in 1905. and for many years was is Chairman and latterly its Hon. President. In 1914 Mr. Furst went to Palestine where he worked as a pioneer. He returned to London in 1917 with the late Vladimir Jabotinsky to advocate the creation of Jewish units to serve with Field-Marshal Allenby's army in the campaign against the Turks. When these were formed he joined the 1st Jewish Battalion (38th Royal Fusiliers) and was appointed to the recruiting office in Jerusalem. A powerful platform speaker, Mr. Furst was sincere and outspoken and was a highly respected figure in the Zionist and Labour movements in Great Britain and the Yishuv. He was Hon President of the Glasgow Commission of the JNF and was also an Hon Vice President of the Glasgow JPA Committee.

See also

• Glasgow Poale Zion

• Furst family

Affiliations

• Glasgow Grove in the Balfour Forest | Jewish Legion

Family

• Birth 15 Sep 1882 • Birzai, Panevezys, Kaunas, Lithuania 2 sources [Date of birth seems incorrect - more likely 1887-1889 - Naturalisation certificate says 21 September 1888.]
• 1883 Birth of brother Meier Ferst (1883–) 5 Jun 1883 • Birzai, Panevezys, Kaunas, Lithuania
• 1885 Age2 Birth of sister Teme Rivke Ferst (1885–1896) 2 Apr 1885 • Birzai, Panevezys, Kaunas, Lithuania
• 1885 Age3 Birth of sister Jenie Furst (1885–) abt 1885 • Russia
• 1888 - birth??
• 1889 Age7 Birth of brother Lazarus Lester Eliezer Solomon Furst (1889–1958) 1889 • ,Kaunas,Lietuva,Rossija
• 1891 Age9 Birth of brother Solomon (Shalom Toviya) Ferst (1891–1954) 1891 • ,Kaunas,Lietuva,Rossija
• 1895 Age13 Birth of brother Isaac Yitschak Furst (1895–1965) 1895 • Kowno, Kauno, Lithuania
• 1896 Age 13 Death of sister Teme Rivke Ferst (1885–1896) 2 Jul 1896 [This seems incorrect. Teme is in the Census aged 16 in 1901.]
• 1897 Age15 Birth of sister Eta Ethel Fierst/Gertrude Furst (1897–1967 aged 91) 1897
• 1909 Age26 Death of father Zalman Furst (1852–1909) 19 Apr 1909 • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• 1924 Age41 Death of mother Channah (Khana) Gene Eilberg/Anna Furst (1857–1924) 24 Apr 1924 • Glasgow Lanarkshire Scotland
• 1925 Birth of son Sidney Solomon Furst (1925–1995) 3 January 1925 • Glasgow Lanarkshire Scotland
• 1954 Death of brother Solomon (Shalom Toviya) Ferst (1891–1954) 4 Feb 1954 • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• Died 1957 at 68 in Cathcart.
• 1958 Death of brother Lazarus Lester Eliezer Solomon Furst AKA Lester Sol Furst (1889–1958) 25 Dec 1958 • Glasgow, Scotland
• 1965 Death of brother Isaac Yitschak Furst (1895–1965) 2 Jul 1965 • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• 1979 Death of wife Tracey (Toiba Leah) Yedd (1902–1979) 29 Apr 1979 • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
• 1995 Death of son Sidney Solomon Furst (1925–1995) 16 May 1995 • Glasgow Lanarkshire Scotland