February - temple society australia

Templer Record 

Published monthly in AUSTRALIA since 1946 

(originally “CIRCULAR of the TEMPLE SOCIETY in AUSTRALIA”) 

REFLECTIONS ................................2 

ABC of New Year Suggestions...... 2 

Questions to reflect on ................. 2 

About the New Year...................... 4 

Love Neighbour as Self................. 5 

REGIONAL MATTERS ................... 7 

Starting or Continuing ................. 7 

Temporary TR Editor required ....8 

TGD – New Books ........................8 

Social Care ....................................8 

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS ......... 10 

Birthdays .................................... 10 

Birth............................................ 10 

New Members............................. 10 

Marriages.................................... 10 

Wedding Anniversaries ...............11 

New Addresses ............................11 

Bereavements ..............................11 

Stepping out to end violence...... 13 

Adventsfeier in Bentleigh........... 13 

Advent and Christmas in Ba ...... 14 

Country Vic Services Survey .......15 

SYDNEY......................................... 16 

50 th Anniversary ..........................17 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA .................... 19 

YOUTH ..........................................20 

Youth Calendar...........................20 

2012 Teenage Group Program ...20 

Summer Camp Report................20 

All Groups Beach Day................. 22 

KIDS’ CLUB ..................................22 

Upcoming Events ....................... 22 

CONTENTS February 2012 

Kids’ Club Camp......................... 23 

TTHA .............................................24 

NOTICES .......................................25 

Coming Services......................... 25 

Flower Roster ............................. 25 

Community Afternoon Ba.......... 25 

Family Service/Lunch Be........... 26 

Crafts .......................................... 26 

Bentleigh................................ 26 

Bayswater............................... 26 

Playgroup News ......................... 27 

Babysitting/Child minding ........ 27 

Looking for Tim Tams ........... 28 

Sommerfest ................................ 28 

Second-hand Book Sale......... 29 

Be News...................................... 29 

Summer Walk............................. 30 

Foster Carers urgently needed....31 

Frauenverein Be .........................31 

World Day of Prayer....................31 

TR Supplement ...........................31 

THE HERITAGE PAGES .............32 

Ludwig ‘Fritz’ Pfeiffer................. 32 

Dozens of languages extinct....... 34 

LAWNMOWING ROSTERS .........38 

CALENDAR FEBRUARY ..............39 

In deutscher Sprache: 

Zum Neuen Jahr...............................4 

Nochmal Weihnachtsmann .............6 

Südaustralien..................................19

Page 2 Templer Record 746 – February 2012 

REFLECTIONS 

ABC OF NEW YEAR SUGGESTIONS 

Ask for what you truly want. 

Believe in yourself. Enjoy a 

Cuppa in the garden. 

Do what you love. 

Exercise your body, mind and spirit. 

Follow your heart’s desire. 

Give more than you receive, especially thanks. 

Have a sense of humour. 

Insist on being yourself. 

Join in more. 

Kiss and make up. 

Love and be loved. 

Make new friends. 

Nurture your spirit. 

Overcome adversity. 

Play more. 

Question conformity. 

Reach for the stars, revere the earth. 

Speak with integrity. 

Take personal responsibility. 

Understand more, judge others less. 

Volunteer your time and expertise. 

Walk through your fear. 

Xperience the moment. 

Yearn for grace, and be 

Zany once in a while. 

Based on a poster seen in a waiting room. 

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON 

We hope that you are feeling rested and restored after the holiday break. 

Here are some questions to ponder on your spiritual journey into 2012. 

• In what areas of my life is serious thought necessary? 

• Am I ready for new ways to tackle problems? 

• Have I let go of things (thoughts, attitudes) in my past that are no 

longer helpful for my future? 

• Am I aware of the power I have to create my own future?

Templer Record 746 – February 2012 Page 3 

• Do I have the self-awareness to distinguish between my intuition and 

illusions based on false hopes and desires? 

• Do I allow myself the freedom to relax and grow? 

• Do I have the self-discipline to see projects through to their conclusion? 

• Am I prepared to question the values and belief systems I grew up with? 

– The ones I see around me? 

• Am I able to resist temptations that could lead me to act without 

integrity? 

• Am I ready to take control of my own destiny? 

• Can I believe in my own reserves of inner strength? 

• Am I prepared to be patient and persevere to find the right path through 

a difficult situation? 

• Am I afraid of being alone? 

• Am I aware of the patterns that shape my life and behaviour – and to 

change them if they only ever drag me down? 

• Am I prepared to take responsibility for my actions? 

• Do I have the courage to move outside my comfort zone and see things 

from a different perspective? 

• Am I ready to acknowledge that I can move on, trusting that it’s OK to 

leave people and situations behind if they hinder my spiritual growth? 

• Do I have a sense of what my true purpose is in life? 

• Do I manipulate people or situations so I can blame others for my woes? 

• Can I trust that something positive and better may well emerge out of 

present chaos? How can I regain control of my life? 

• How can I best use my wisdom to inspire others? 

• Do I know how to be happy? 

• Do I feel a sense of achievement at reaching a goal? 

• Do I realise how blessed I am? 

Plenty of thought-starters. Perhaps you have the courage to reflect further on 

one or two that made you uncomfortable. 

All the best in this year 2012! 

Herta Uhlherr 

Based on questions in Ticket, Passport and Tarot Cards by Linda Marson.


ZUM NEUEN JAHR 

Zwischen dem Alten, zwischen dem Neuen 

hier uns zu freuen, schenkt uns das Glück. 

Und das Vergangne heißt mit Vertrauen 

vorwärts zu schauen, schauen zurück. 

ABOUT THE NEW YEAR 

(Johann Wolfgang Goethe) 

After the festivities of the Christmas days, the last few days of the old year 

give us a chance to look back on the past year as well as look forward to the 

coming one. The past can teach us to recognise the gentle guidance we 

experienced and to look confidently towards the future. 

In every year we enjoy happy days as well as sad times, not only in our own 

private life but also in the world around us. 

Natural disasters brought much suffering to many people, many lost their 

lives or their loved ones, but in other places good rains filled the dams for 

storing water and gardens, trees and lawns recovered after the long drought. 

We could contemplate like this on any day of the year really, because our new 

year beginning on the first of January is rather arbitrary. The names of the 

four last months in our year point to the fact that once upon a time 

September was the seventh month, October the eighth, November the ninth 

and December the tenth. At that time, the year started in March – the 

beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere. 

In 154 BC, the calendar in the Roman Empire was changed. That year was 

shortened by two months which were moved to the beginning of the 

following year. There was a good reason for this change. In the Roman 

Empire, it was the rule that the two newly elected consuls always took up 

their office at the beginning of the year. As consuls they were also the 

commanders-in-chief of the army. 

Towards the end of the year 154 BC there was unrest in Spain. It was clear 

that it would take quite a long time to quell the uprising and would surely not 

be completed before the start of the new year. This would have meant that 

very soon there would have to be a change in government and the supreme 

command of the army. Therefore the beginning of the year was moved from 

the first of March forward to the first of January. On this day the new consuls 

took over. 

Amazingly, it stayed like that, and we still celebrate New Year on the first of 

January, because we adopted the Roman calendar. 

Strangely, the names of the months were not adjusted to the new calendar.


Since childhood we have accepted the first of January as the start of a new 

year. It is like a milestone in our life. Nobody knows whether it will be her or 

his last year on this earth, nobody knows what pain or suffering the year 

might bring, but we can choose to be grateful for every joy, every happy day 

that may come our way. We can endeavour to brighten the corner where we 

are! 

Happy New Year! 

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF 

Hulda Wagner 

In the December 2011 Warte, Wolfgang Blaich, writing about the greatest 

commandment, quotes Hermann Hesse’s comment on the subject: 

Man kann den Nächsten weniger lieben als sich selbst. Dann ist man 

der Egoist, der Raffer, der Kapitalist. Oder man kann den Nächsten 

mehr lieben als sich selbst. Dann ist man ein armer Teufel, voll von 

Minderwertigkeitsgefühlen, voll Verlangen, alles zu lieben und doch 

voll Ranküne und Plagerei gegen sich selbst, man lebt in einer Hölle, 

die man täglich selber heizt. 

Dagegen ist das Gleichgewicht der Liebe, das Liebenkönnen, ohne hier 

und dort schuldig zu bleiben: diese Liebe zu sich selbst, die doch 

niemandem gestohlen ist, diese Liebe zum anderen, die das eigene Ich 

doch nicht verkürzt oder vergewaltigt – das Geheimnis des Glücks, 

aller Seligkeit ist in diesem Wort enthalten. 

You can love your neighbour less than yourself – this makes you an 

egotist, a greedy acquisitor, a capitalist. 

Or you can love your neighbour more than yourself, which makes you a 

poor devil with lack of self-esteem issues, full of the desire to love 

everything, yet full of simmering resentment, sabotaging yourself; you 

live in a hell you heat up yourself every day. 

On the other hand, there is balanced loving, being able to love without 

short-changing either side: the love of self which does not deprive 

anyone else of love, and the love of another which does not reduce or 

violate your own self. It is this that contains the secret of joy, of all 

happiness. 

Tr. H.U.


Reader response to the proposed sacking of Santa Claus in a poem on page 8 

of the December/January issue. 

Eingesparter 

Weihnachtsmann? – eine 

Antwort von Hanskarl Baldenhofer 

Weihnachten ohne Weihnachtsmann 

ist das ein christlich Leben? 

Tot ist die Freude am Geschenk, 

am Haben und am Geben. 

Wie kann man unsrem 

Weihnachtsmann, 

trotz allem Fleh’n und Bitten, 

aus finanzieller Gründlichkeit 

entziehen seinen Schlitten? 

Und welcher wahre 


nach all den vielen Jahren, 

statt Schlitten will jetzt lieber 

Bahn oder Auto fahren? 

Nun höre, lieber Weihnachtsmann, 

man will dich nicht verkohlen, 

wenn einer meint er kann das tun, 

soll ihn der Teufel holen! 

Und, liebe Kinder, weit und breit, 

ich kann euch ehrlich sagen, 

wenn einer streicht den 


dem geht’s, bei Gott, an’n Kragen! 

EXHIBITION 

HAIFA HARBOUR 

OPENING 1933 

Santa redundant? No way! 

Christmas without Santa Claus? 

Could Christians this way live? 

Dead is the joy of getting gifts, 

of having and to give. 

How can you! 

our Santa Claus! 

– despite we plead and pray – 

from pure financial thriftiness 

deprive him of his sleigh? 

What self-respecting 

Santa Claus, 

gone sledding near and far, 

would now in place of sledding 

prefer a train or car? 

Now listen, dear old Santa Claus, 

you’re safe from any mocking. 

All people with a different view 

deserve the hardest flogging! 

And all you children far and wide, 

to put it all together: 

whoever scraps 

old Santa Claus, 

will get tarred and feathered! 

TTHA TEMPLER GALLERY 

February to April 2012 

All welcome 

Transl. H.B. & P.H.

STARTING OR CONTINUING 


REGIONAL MATTERS 

To everyone associated with the TSA, I welcome you to a New Year – an 

Olympic year (London in July/August), the Chinese Year of the Dragon and, 

for the Temple Society, the one after the 150 th . 

Whether you have recently started or are continuing your membership, I 

hope that we can meet your expectations and provide the sense of 

community on which we pride ourselves. 

Late last year, a revision of the About Us brochure was completed. In part it 

reads, ‘Templers are members of a community based on commonality of 

purpose [love God with all your being and love your neighbour as yourself], 

values [trust, respect, acceptance] and goals [our common aim is to work 

actively and cooperatively towards a fairer and more compassionate 

world, in harmony with our environment], while acknowledging that there 

is strength in diversity. There is a place for various levels of participation, 

and all are encouraged to contribute as best they can. It is through active 

involvement that a sense of familiarity, togetherness and belonging 

develops.’ 

As always, we will rely heavily on our members’ commitment, participation, 

contribution and connection over the course of 2012. Without it, most of our 

initiatives, programs, activities and undertakings would struggle to occur, or 

not even take place at all. 

Also, from late May 2011, the Templer Think Tank – T 3 if you like – came 

into being. Initially conducted via Skype, then face-to-face sessions, the 

group (of about 6-10) began by focussing on the four Regional Council goals 

– Growth in membership, Religious education and development, Raising our 

profile in the wider community and Welfare – before trying to identify major 

initiatives/directions/projects for further discussion and detailed analysis. 

It was felt the TSA as a self-sustaining community (and capable of growth) 

should harness this strength. The group would like to make participating 

and volunteering a focus for the TSA over this year. From a list of 

identified topics, Leadership Programs ranked the highest and, together with 

the other seven topics, will form the basis of our ongoing discussions and 

recommendations this year. 

Let us all embrace our Templer Community and thereby make it grow. 

Mark Herrmann, Regional Head


SEEKING TEMPORARY TR EDITOR 

We need someone to fill in as editor this May (for the June TR) and in June 

(for the July TR). 

Irma is very familiar with layout and formatting, the Youth and Heritage 

Sections have sub-editors, Nanne at the Office can help with Notices, so your 

task is mainly reading contributions that come in and making sure they are 

clearly understandable and in line with Templer values. 

Contributions should all be in by the 18 th of the month, and a few days later 

there is a day at the Office where everything is put together and doublechecked 

by the editor and Irma; then comes proofreading and the final 

formatting. 

If you can help, please ring Herta or email hru@optusnet.com.au 

Please give it serious thought. 

Herta Uhlherr, Editor 

TGD – NEW BOOKS 

A third volume of Saal discussions on religious texts, from Dr Brigitte 

Hoffmann’s work over the last five years, called Gedanken zum Gottesreich 

is now out. 

The previous titles of Brigitte’s work: Meine Erfahrungen mit der Bibel and 

Mein Verständnis von Jesus are still available. 

Unterwegs zur Freiheit im Glauben is the TGD’s TS150 impressive Festschrift 

with many colour pictures. 

All these can be obtained at 5 Euros each plus postage, from the TGD Office 

in Stuttgart. Perhaps a few can be ordered through the Office. 

Ed. 

SOCIAL CARE 

Dear Friends, 

I am writing a few days before Christmas as I will be on annual leave when 

this article is due. I hope the new year offers good health, happiness and a 

sense of excitement at what it will bring to you and your family. There are 

many wonderful events and programs coming up this year, I hope you will 

embrace them with enthusiasm and a willingness to try something new. For 

me, this is the year for stepping out of my comfort zone. Whilst away, I 

intend to try tandem sky-diving (so this may be the last time I write 

anything!) and visit some beautiful places in New Zealand. When I return, I 

am sure I will be filled with renewed energy, enthusiasm and lots of ideas to


bring to our community. In the meantime, I ask you to stay safe. 

It is important to remember we live in a country where bushfire and other 

natural disasters are very real threats to many. If you live in Victoria and 

there is a Code Red Extreme Fire Danger day in your area (where you live or 

where you are holidaying), you need to have a Fire Plan and be ready to 

enact it. The TSA has the Bayswater Facility available for people who need to 

evacuate their home on such days and need a safe place to take shelter and 

sleep, etc. Please contact the bereavement line if you need access to the hall 

for this purpose while I am away. All Elders are aware of this policy and its 

procedure, if it needs to be enacted. 

Events for 2012 include the Oma and Opa’s Kitchen Program (Bayswater) 

which runs from March to June, a Men's Advance up at ILTIS on Mt Buller 

in May, ‘MoneyMinded’ workshops on a variety of financial matters for all 

ages (Bayswater and Bentleigh) from June until October, the Golden Girls 

Pamper Day followed by the Women’s Retreat in August and finally our 

Carers Support dinner in October. 

More information about each event will be advertised in the coming months 

but please note, many of these programs have limited places available and it 

is important you book in before the date to avoid disappointment. 

The ‘Men's Advance’ will be up at Mt Buller from 18 th to 20 th May. I 

will email out a flier on TSA Online in February or to past attendees, and I 

encourage you to invite your mates outside the TSA as well! The price for this 

weekend is always reasonable and the guys have lots of fun! Please contact 

me for further information. 

I will be driving the bus to Bentleigh for the February Frauenverein and we 

will leave at 11:10am from our usual place, see page 31. 

Telelink has had a rest over the holiday period and is starting up again on 

Friday 3 rd February at 2:00pm. I look forward to speaking with you all 

again. There are still a few places at this meeting time if you are interested in 

connecting up with other Templers from around Victoria on the phone each 

fortnight. It is a free service. 

Freebies/Useful Websites 

www.fedsquare.com is a great website showing all of the free and varied 

events for all ages that are being held in Federation Square over the school 

holidays. 

Martina Eaton, Community Care Worker 

email: careworker@templesociety.org.au


GEBURTSTAGE – BIRTHDAYS 

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS 

Wir gratulieren herzlich zum Geburtstag unserer Mitglieder: 

Gerlinde Slip Meta Beilharz (101!) 

Inge Osarek Günter Kuerschner 

Ruth Steller Fritz Schmelzle 

Helene Zimmermann Wally Liebeskind 

Gisela Sawatzky Walter Noller 

Irene Severin 

und wünschen auch allen hier nicht angeführten Geburtstagskindern alles 

Gute und Schöne zum neuen Lebensjahr – Happy Birthday! 

BIRTH 

James Sebastian Neave 

Parents: Rachel née Connop and Peter Neave 

Grandson of Birgit Blaich and first great-grandchild of Horst and Irene 

Blaich. 

NEW MEMBERS 

We welcome Peter Imberger, Lisa Lark (née Laemmle), David and 

Julie Nicholson, Norbert Sawatzky, Josef Hofmann and Walter 

Noller and hope they will feel at home among us. 

MARRIAGES 

Erin (née Lubitz) and Gary Kemper on 15.10.2011 

Antonia Kinder and Darren Strachan had a heart-warming ceremony 

on 3.12.2011 in the Templer Chapel, with a surprise at the end – the couple 

was, in fact, already married privately in Hawaii on 28.9.2011, but wanted to 

pledge their commitment before family and friends and celebrate with them. 

Herta Uhlherr officiated.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES 


Siegfried and Rosemarie Hahn are celebrating their Diamond Wedding 

Anniversary on 9 th February. 

Waldemar and Rosemarie Beilharz are celebrating their 66 th wedding 

anniversary on 16 th February. 

NEW ADDRESSES 

Warm congratulations to all these couples! 

Kirrily Sydenham 

new email: kirrilysyd@gmail.com 

Holger and Tanja Messner 

new email: htmessner@yahoo.com 

BEREAVEMENTS 

My wife, my mother, my daughter, our sister and aunt Anna 

(Annemarie) Grendon née Wagner passed away in Warrnambool’s 

St John of God hospital on Sunday 4.12.2011 in her 60th year. 

Thank you to all who were able to attend the funeral service in 

Terang. 

We were overwhelmed by the many, many phone calls, cards and 

visitors we received after our sad loss. Please accept this as our 

sincere thanks to everyone who showed us a kindness in any way. 

Bob and Sarah Grendon 

Luise Wagner with Irene, Helmut, Heinz, Erich, Wolfie, Marg 

and Paul with their families 

Anna, thank you for all you have given us. 

� � � 

On 5.12.2011, our beloved mother, Omi and Omi Omi, Maria 

Feubel née Faig, passed away quietly at TTHA, aged 98. 

Our thanks go to Renate Weber for the lovely service, and to Irene 

Blaich for her piano accompaniment. 

Maria spent a large part of her later life at TTHA and we are grateful 

to the staff for the care she received. 

Regina Imberger with Diana, Gary and Susan 

Margot Fröschle with Kevin, Debi, Connie and Mandy 

Iris and Bob Pyne with David, James and Vanessa 

and all the extended families.


Manfred Frank died on 7.12.2011 and is now at peace. He was 88. 

Mourning him are: 

Lotte Frank née Lippmann, and sons 

Ronald with Sandra and Monique, 

Reiner with Antonella (in Milan) 

and the wider Frank family. 

Sincere thanks to Herta Uhlherr who put together a beautiful 

memorial service; to the Community volunteers who helped with 

refreshments; to those who made donations to the TSA and TTHA in 

Manfred’s memory; and to all who attended – thank you for your 

cards, calls and support. 

� � � 

Meta Katz, born 7.7.1914 in Haifa, died peacefully in TTHA on 

12.12.2011, aged 97. The Katz family was one of the first to move to 

Waldheim. WWII took Meta’s fiancé, her brother and a brother-inlaw; 

she lived with her relatives, the Blaichs and the Wieds, then was 

at TTHA for 30 years. 

Missing her are 

Irene Blaich and Gerda Knaub 

and the wider families. 

Thank you to the staff at TTHA, to Herta Uhlherr who held the 

touching funeral service shortly before Christmas, and to all who 

attended. 

� � � 

Tussi Starick née Schmidt, born 2.4.1922 in Haifa, died peacefully 

on 17.12.2011 at TTHA, aged 89. 

Mourning her passing are 

Ingrid Crichton with Isobel and Jamie 

Gary Starick and Belinda with Renee and Simon 

� � � 

In Germany, Hildegard Grözinger née Jung died on 13.12.2011 in 

Tamm, aged 103. She was originally from Sarona, and until a few 

months ago was still active in her house and garden. 

Our condolences to all these families


STEPPING OUT TO END VIOLENCE WALK 

Women's Health East Lilydale Lake 1.12.2011 

Walkers enjoy a well-earned 

rest 

Photo Liz Smith 

ADVENTSFEIER IN BENTLEIGH 

Many thanks to all those who made this year’s event a great success. Our 

thoughts were with many from our Community who have lost loved ones or 

who have suffered illness over the past 12 months. To see so many people 

walk through the 

doors – and many 

unfamiliar but friendly 

faces – to join in this 

tradition, made all our 

efforts worthwhile. 

The Templer Ladies’ Choir perform at the Adventsfeier in Bentleigh 

on 4.12.2011 Photos H. Uhlherr 

The ladies’ choir sang 

beautifully. 

We raised more than 

$2,000 which will go 

into the ‘consolidated 

revenue’ of the TSA, to 

assist with the work of 

our Care Worker, our 

Elders, our Youth 

Worker, our property maintenance and all the things that make the Templer 

Community so very special. 

Please continue to invite friends and family to this annual special event. 

Marianne Herrmann, for the Organising Committee


The Bentleigh Hall was pretty full for the Adventsfeier 

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS in Bayswater 

Our Advent evening on 8 th December was well attended, the candles 

shone, we sang lots of carols, and coffee with Gutsle and conversation were 

enjoyed. The program was varied. 

Thank you to the many ladies who help make this event happen. We raised 

$300 for the good work of the Borromeo Sisters in Jerusalem, who are 

always very grateful. 

For the Community Christmas on 17 th December, the Mem Fox story 

Wombat Divine was cleverly adapted by Phuong Breisch and acted out 

brilliantly by the enthusiastic children. 

Although the 4:00pm Service on Christmas Eve (when it falls on a 

Saturday) is awkward for some (but no more so than a 10:15am Service on 

Christmas Day) a good number attended – some members love being able to 

go to both Bayswater and Bentleigh at Christmas. Again there was much 

carol singing. Even though the gospel narratives of the birth of Jesus are 

almost certainly not factual – they are stories to illustrate points the authors 

wished to emphasise – there is much in the tales that our hearts can relate 

to, and we should feel free to enjoy them and what they mean to us in our 

own lives.


Thank you to Dr Rolf Beilharz and to the choir members able to come, also to 

Krista Imberger for taking over the conducting from Monika Strasser. It was 

good to hear that her mother Martha was doing OK in Shell Harbour (after 

breaking her leg). 

New Year’s Eve was very hot. Dr Geoff McCallum specially drove up from 

Phillip Island to hold the Service. People stayed on afterwards for drinks and 

nibbles. 

For the Sydney Community’s lovely Christmas service see page 16. 

The Christmas Service in Degerloch on 18 th December (see January 

Warte) was thought up and pulled together in a relatively short time-frame 

by young community members living at a distance from each other; it turned 

out to be a wonderful event based on the theme of giving. 

May our communities long continue to flourish as new people step up to 

create memorable communal experiences. 

COUNTRY VICTORIA SERVICES SURVEY 

Herta Uhlherr 

Since 1995 the Templers have been holding services in country Victoria. They 

have been held in a variety of venues, private homes, churches, parks, other 

halls. 

We are currently reviewing the areas in which these are held. Up till now 

they have been held in Ballarat and Bendigo for Western Victoria and Cowes 

and Tynong for the Gippsland Region. Also in Rupanyup and Tatura. 

We would appreciate your feedback on country services and your interest in 

these and ask that you spend some time filling out the survey sheet in this 

month’s Templer Record or at Sommerfest (forms will be available). The 

forms should be returned to the Office by 31 st March or placed in the box at 

Sommerfest by the PA tent. 

This form can also be found online on the Templer website. 

Anne Wied, for Welfare & Distant FG 

PRESENTATION – Sunday 26 th February Be 10:15am 

Would parents wishing to have their children presented at the Service in 

Bentleigh on 26 th February please contact the Office as soon as possible. 

Ed.


SYDNEY 

Happy New Year to all in the Sydney Community! I hope that you had a 

lovely Christmas and some relaxing time off over the festive season. We are 

moving into the business part of the year, with all of its new adventures and 

challenges. I hope that we can all find a little more balance, empathy, 

courage and compassion for ourselves and those who surround us. 

It was nice to hear how much Kirrily Simmer enjoyed being a leader at 

summer camp at Cape Otway. She had a ball. 

Mary and Joseph enter in front of choir 

Nativity pageant – kids sing ‘Santa Claus is coming’ 

The events of December 

seem a long time ago and 

I am proud at what we in 

Sydney achieved as a 

team and as a community. 

The Seniors’ 

Group wrapped up with 

a gemütlich lunch and 

afternoon tea at the 

Wentworthville Leagues 

Club. 

Our Family Christmas 

Service was beautiful. 

Mark Herrmann’s words 

reflected on different 

interpretations of the 

Christ birth story and its 

meaning for us today. 

The kids delighted us 

with their little pageant 

and we girls provided 

angelic music (well kindof...). 

Santa was his usual 

hit with the kids and 

they seemed happy with 

their gifts from him. 

Finishing with Stollen, 

cool drinks and a good 

chat made our simple 

Christmas service a 

pretty magical event.


But the highlight was our 50 th anniversary celebration on 27 th 

November, where 80 to 100 people gathered to celebrate 50 years at our 

Meadowbank Church. On the day before, torrential rains made the grassy car 

park into a toddlers’ swimming pool – and we were a little concerned as to 

where we would put the stalls, kids’ events and a food marquee. Yet 

overnight, all had miraculously dried up and our little church shimmered in 

the fresh, clean sunlight. Relieved and energised we set up. The organising 

group: Loretta Withey, Peter and Bev Leszinsky, Rolf Beck, Emmy 

Hoffmann, Martina Eaton and myself launched ourselves into preparing for 

the big day. 

We had a great celebration and our guests all seemed to find something to 

enjoy, from the historical and artistic exhibits and family trees on display, to 

the jewellery, toy and craft stalls; kids’ events and jumping castle; historic 

photos and delicious traditional food. Thank you to the many helpers who 

volunteered to man stalls, cook food, or donated salads, cakes, exhibits or 

raffle prizes. 

The official ceremony was begun beautifully by our leader, Emmy Hoffmann. 

It had many parts: Hartmut Beck's Advent thoughts, my own reflections and 

Ilse Birkner's highly entertaining and informative recounting of the Sydney 

Community’s founding years, 

including the purchase and 

renovation of this church. Finally, 

after watching the Fabric of Society 

DVD, came the Leszinskyorchestrated 

dramatic unveiling of 

Sydney's very own copy of the 

Melbourne community's amazing 

triptych, Fabric of Society – an 

Embroidered History of the Templer 

Journey. Our esteemed former 

leaders, Hartmut Beck and Ilse 

Birkner, did the unveiling honours to 

An Elder recounts the early days at Meadowbank 

enthusiastic clapping from the 

crowd. Most people had to have a 

closer look at the art work later and 

marvelled at its precision, historical content and beauty. A big thankyou to 

John Maddock and Mark Herrmann for organising the high-quality digital 

images and to Rolf Beck for his diligence in having it printed on canvas, 

mounted and transported to the church. It will hang as the feature in the 

back hall and be much admired! 

Personally, I loved catching up with many people whom I hadn't seen in a 

while and eating Kartoffelsalat, Bratwurst, Weißwurst and Kuchen. My kids 

loved the activities Martina ran for them and that night there were a few foot


blisters to deal with after a 

day spent jumping on the 

jumping castle! 

We of the Sydney 

Community Focus Group 

really appreciated the 

positive comments about 

the food and organisation, 

but most of all, we enjoyed 

the wonderful atmosphere 

on the day that included the 

cooperation of so many, the 

smiles, the chatter and the 

wonderful mood of a large 

group of people connecting 

and having a great old time. 

Drawing the Tombola Raffle 

Coming events for your calendars: 

Visitors discuss family trees 

Unveiling of the triptych 

Photos: the Turners 

February 

• Saal: Sunday 5th February at 10:30am, Dr Rolf Beilharz (Duty: Hanni 

Steller). 

• Seniors’ Social Group: Friday 10th February at 12:00 noon at 

Blacktown Workers Sports Club, 170 Reservoir Rd, Blacktown. 

• Weekend Camp at Myall River Camp Ground: 24th to 26th February. 

John Barnard is organising this weekend camp 3 hours north of Sydney. 

The campsite is divine and already there are a few takers. Family 

members should have received an email on the details. Contact me if 

you are interested.


March 

• Saal: Sunday 4th March at 10:30am, Ingrid Turner (Duty: Nella Kruck). 

• Seniors’ Social Group: Friday 9th March at 11:30am at Wentworthville 

Leagues Club. 

Ingrid Turner, Sydney Community Development Worker and Elder 

email: ingridt@tpg.com.au 

Inside the main marquee at the 50 th anniversary 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

Friends chatting about the 

exhibits 

Unsere Adventsfeier fand am 11. Dezember in Tanunda statt. Wir hörten im 

Text aus dem Johannes-Evangelium über den blind geborenen Mann. Ist 

Krankheit Strafe? Nein, auch Leid und Not lehren uns zu wachsen. Jesus, 

das Licht der Welt, lehrt uns, dass Gott Liebe ist. Er selber strahlt in seinem 

Leben Liebe aus. 

Unsere nächste Andacht ist am 5. Februar wie üblich um 14:00 Uhr in der 

St John’s Halle in Tanunda. 

Rose Asenstorfer


YOUTH CALENDAR 

Sunday 5 th February 

Friday 24 th February 

Sunday 18 th March 

YOUTH 

All youth groups beach day 

& kayaking 

Friday Night Fun – Pool night & 

Summer Camp photo night 

Sommerfest – 10:00am to 

4:00pm Bayswater 

Sandringham 

6:00pm- 

9:00pm 

April school holidays Melbourne Comedy Festival show TBC 

Bayswater 

Friday 27th April Friday Night Fun – night games Bayswater 

Sunday 20th May 

Trees Adventure high ropes 

climbing! 

Belgrave 

1:00pm 

Friday 8th June 

Friday Night Fun – Blue Baboon 

at Chadstone 

Chadstone 

Saturday 23rd June 

Sonnwendfeier Winter Solstice 

bonfire 

Bayswater 

5:00pm 

2012 TEENAGE GROUP PROGRAM 

For full details or queries about the 2012 Teenage Group program please 

contact: 

Susi Richter, Community Youth Coordinator 

email: susi@templesociety.org.au 

TG FRIDAY NIGHT FUN! – Friday 24 th February 

This year TG will be having fun on Friday nights as well as on weekends once 

a month! 

Our first Friday night will be a Pool and Summer Camp photo night on 

24 th February. The plan is to go to either the Monash Wave Pool in Glen 

Waverley or the NEW Noble Park Aquatic Centre in... you guessed it: Noble 

Park! 

We’re planning to be at the pool at 6:00pm, finishing up by about 9:00pm. 

Transport and venue will be confirmed via email. 

SUMMER CAMP 2012 – Report 

This year the Summer-campers wrote a whole scrapbook full of bits and


pieces so I have just taken a few excerpts out to give you an idea of what kind 

of fun was had at summer camp! 

Camp Highlights 

Christine Ruff: I loved spending time away with this fabulous bunch of kids. 

Thanks to all of you for making this week so relaxing and enjoyable for us 

leaders, and for being the ace kids you are! And at meal times at home, just 

remember: elbows and backbones! Thanks, guys – love you all! xox 

Brendan Wied: The shipwreck tour was so fun and interesting. 

Lachlan Glenk: For some weird reason, last year on camp I said ‘I will sue 

Paul one day!’ – That didn’t happen. 

Luca Haar: I loved everything so much! 

Alex Glenk: Not getting to sleep because we kept on talking and playing 

games! 

Hugo Richter: My highlight was probably everything. It was so much fun. 

Every activity and thing we did was cool, even if it was Frühsport! 

Brody Verhagen: I enjoyed everything except morning sport and the 

boundary runs. 

Kirrily Simmer: My second favourite part of camp was building the epic hole 

and pumpkin, but what I enjoyed the most was the games in the evening and 

before lunch. I really loved mucking around with all of you kids (and leaders) 

– thanks for such a fantastic week! I hope to see all of you next year. 

Kelilah Breisch: I enjoyed everything except morning sport! Best leader 

award – Paul! 

Peter Etherington: My highlight was the kayaking. 

Katja Hesse: I enjoyed munching on the great food, all the fun activities and 

well... to be honest, my highlight was everything! 

Dane Rainbird: My highlight was making it through the week! 

Franz Hesse: My highlight was eating a limpet. 

Milla Kruse: My favourite part of summer camp was when [camp leader] 

Mark took us to the Cape Otway National Park and I got to try the juice from 

the middle of the Pigface flower. 

Jayme Verhagen: My highlight of camp was the games we played in the 

evening, such as charades. 

Paul Blaich: My highlight was spending the week with a fun bunch of kids


and watching them enjoy the activities. Keep up the good work! 

Winnie Beilharz: The highlights of camp were Christine’s driving and a good 

bunch of kids and leaders! 

And to sum it all up, the words that were written on the last page of the scrap 

book were composed on the bus on the way home by the kids for the leaders 

(to the tune of Danket, danket dem Herrn) 

Thank you, thank you, leaders, 

You are all so friendly. 

We had lots of fun, 

With everyone! 

See photo on page 38; more to come in the March TR. 

The Summer-campers 

ALL YOUTH GROUPS BEACH DAY – Sunday 5 th February 

Bookings and payments will have been finalised by now. This should be a 

great day of water fun. 

UPCOMING EVENTS 




Sunday 18 th March Sommerfest 

Sunday 25 th March 

30 th March 

to 2 nd April 2012 

Friday 6 th April 

Sunday 8 th April 

Sunday 6 th May 

KIDS’ CLUB 

All youth groups Beach Day & 

Kayaking 

Sandringham 

Service, Sunday School & 

Community Afternoon 

Bayswater 

3:15pm 

Presentation Service & Sunday 

School 

Bentleigh 

10:15am 

Bayswater 

10:15am 

Family Service & Community Bentleigh 

Lunch 

11:00am 

Kids’ Club camp at The Briars 

Outdoor Ed Camp 

Mt Martha 

Good Friday Service & Sunday Bentleigh 

School 

10:15am 

Easter Sunday Service & Sunday Bayswater 

School 

10:15am 

Bike Ride & Picnic at 

Cranbourne Botanical Gardens Cranbourne

Sunday 13 th May 


Mothers’ Day Service & Sunday 

School 

Sunday 27 th May Service & Sunday School 

Sunday 3 rd June Service & Sunday School 

Saturday 23 rd June 

Sunday 24 th June 

Sonnwendfeier Winter 

Solstice Celebration 

Founding Day Service & Sunday 

School 

Bayswater 

10:15am 

Bentleigh 

10:15am 

Bayswater 

10:15am 

Bayswater 

5:00pm 

Bentleigh 

10:15am 

KIDS’ CLUB CAMP – Friday 30 th March to Monday 2 nd April 

It’s on again! Kids’ Club camp at The Briars in Mt Martha is happening on 

the first weekend in the April school holidays. Booking forms are now 

available. 

NOTE: Bookings must be in no later than Monday 19 th March! 

For info and booking forms contact Susi at susi@templesociety.org.au or call 

the Templer Office. 

Jasmine Kuerschner 

Crispin Beilharz-Smythe 

Elian Haar 

Nikita Bulach 

Anika Jensen 

Maxine Kuerschner 

Liam Field 

Julian Vollmer 

Forester Christensen 

Jaqui Katz


Dear Friends, 

TTHA 

TTHA had a wonderful month in December celebrating our Christmas 

events. It is always great to see all the relatives and friends join in the 

festivities. January saw the return of residents from holidays and of staff 

after taking time off with their families over the Christmas break; all have 

come back refreshed and ready for 2012. 

TTHA always celebrate Australia Day with the Australian Animal Zoo; our 

residents and children enjoy this thoroughly. 

TTHA remains at full occupancy and we continue to support our two parent 

societies in looking after their communities. We maintain our waiting lists on 

a daily basis and are always happy to have enquiries and to provide a tour of 

our beautiful facility. Please contact reception on 8720 1333 or myself 

directly for further information. Our units are fully occupied, five are 

currently under renovation or construction, with residents waiting to move 

in; all should be completed by end of March. 

TTHA have recently invested in another commercial oven for the kitchen and 

new insulated covers for our food service. These have made a significant 

difference to how we cook our meals and serve them to our residents. The 

feedback from our staff and residents has been very positive and another way 

TTHA strives to maintain its high standard of care. 

Over the Christmas period we had a visit from the Department of Health 

Accreditation Agency who reviewed our Clinical Care and Pain Management. 

After a few hours of reviewing our documentation, interviewing staff and 

residents, the auditors were delighted with the care we provide to our 

residents and said we are doing a fantastic job. In light of this recent audit, 

we still maintain that improvement is the best policy and we will continue to 

strive to provide the best care for our residents. 

We look forward to a wonderful 2012 and wish you all the best for the new 

year. 

Kind regards, 

Natasha Wilkinson, CEO 

email: natasha.wilkinson@ttha.org.au

COMING SERVICES 


NOTICES – BEKANNTMACHUNGEN 

Sun 5.2. Sy 10:30 Service Dr Rolf Beilharz 

Sun 5.2. TTHA 10:30 Service Harald Ruff 

Sun 12.2. S.A. 14:00 Service Tanunda 

Sun 12.2. Ba 15:15 

Service & Comm. Afternoon 

& Elders’ Meeting 

Christa Lingham 

Sun 19.2. CV 12:00 Phillip Island Dr Geoff McCallum 

Wed 22.2. Ash Wednesday 

Sun 26.2. Be 10:15 Thanksgiving 

& Presentation 

Fri 2.3. World Day of Prayer 

Sun 4.3. Sy 10:30 Thanksgiving 

& Presentation 

FLOWER ROSTER 

Renate Weber 

Ingrid Turner 

Ba 12.2. Community Afternoon – Kristin Wennagel, Brigitte Decker 

Be 26.2. Thanksgiving – Heidi Richter 

COMMUNITY AFTERNOON – 12 th February Bayswater 

You are invited to the Service starting at 3:15pm. 

Ba-Bo ladies please bring a cake (already cut) to share for afternoon tea 

afterwards. 

Would the following ladies help set up around 2:15pm and serve tea and 

coffee? Minnie Haering, Ingeborg Hanke, Monika Heron, Daniella Horn, 

Gerda Knaub, Herrmann: Erika, Kathrine and Monika (Rolf). 

If you are unable to come, ask a friend or ring me. 

COUNTRY VICTORIA PHILLIP ISLAND SERVICE 


Erika English 

Our get-together will begin at 12:00 noon with a service at St John’s 

Uniting Church on Chapel Street, Cowes (Melway map 634 C1).


As usual, bring food to share for lunch and afternoon tea in the adjoining 

hall. Tea and coffee are supplied. The beach is close by. These gatherings are 

always friendly and relaxing – everyone is welcome, including friends. The 

collection will go to St John’s. 

People wishing to travel in Rosa should book with Nanne at the Office ASAP. 

Anne Wied (new leader of Welfare & Distant FG) 

FAMILY SERVICE AND COMMUNITY LUNCH 

Bentleigh 25 th March 11:00am 

Keep this date free for an interactive service for children and all the youngat-heart, 

followed by a communal lunch. Could people attending please bring 

a cake to share to round off the meal? Those rostered on will be contacted by 

phone. 

Nikki Imberger, Renate Beilharz and Dot Ware 

CRAFTS 

Bentleigh 

We will be decorating Easter eggs – blown eggs – on Saturday 18 th 

February from 1:00pm in the Bentleigh Hall kitchen. This will be an 

opportunity to discuss what we will be making over the next 12 months for 

the Adventsfeiern in Bentleigh and Bayswater. New people are always 

welcome. 

For more information, please ring me or email nanne@templesociety.org.au 

With Sommerfest in March, our next meeting date will be 21 st April. 

Marianne Herrmann, for the Be Craft Group 

Bayswater 

A big thankyou to all the craft ladies for tirelessly making so many beautiful 

Christmas crafts, especially to those who put in extra effort while I was 

recuperating. The Christmas market at TTHA was a great success and we 

look forward to more creations in 2012. 

We will get together again in early February to sort out what we can do. 

Helga Kuerschner, for the Ba Craft Group

PLAYGROUP NEWS 


Thank you Kirrily! 

All the children, families and the Templer Community would like to say a big 

thank you to Kirrily Sydenham, who, for the past two years, has done a great 

job of organising and running a fun-filled and educational playgroup session 

each Thursday morning. Children and their parents alike have enjoyed 

playing with you and we wish you all the best for all your future adventures. 

Welcome to Sharon! 

A big welcome to our new Playgroup leader, Sharon Nied. Sharon is also 

the leader for the Knox Multiple Birth Association Playgroup and has kindly 

agreed to take over the Templer Playgroup reins from Kirrily this year. We 

hope that you will enjoy your time ‘playing’ with us and wish you every 

success in your new role. 

Playgroup and Babies & Toddlers Group 

Templer Playgroup would like to invite all families with children aged 2 to 

Kindergarten age to come and play with us in 2012! 

Likewise our Babies and Toddlers Group would love families with new babies 

under the age of 2 years to come along to our relaxed and informal ‘play and 

chat’ sessions. 

The starting date for both groups is Thursday 9 th February and both 

groups will again be running at the same time from 9:30am each week at 

the Bayswater Hall. 

Please contact Susi for all general or enrolment enquiries about either 

Playgroup or the Babies and Toddlers Group: susi@templesociety.org.au 

TSA BABYSITTING/CHILD MINDING SERVICE 

A reminder that we have a TSA Child minding Service – the TIM TAMs. 

The Tim Tams are available for babysitting/child minding in both the 

Bentleigh/Moorabbin and Knox areas, for Templer families and friends who 

may need their services, as well as for any Templer functions where child 

minding is needed. 

Most of the young people on the list are students, so would be available in 

the evening and on weekends until their school year finishes, and then some 

may also be available during the day on weekdays as well. 

If you need a babysitter on any occasion, or are organising a seminar/


function/activity where child minding is required, please contact me on the 

phone numbers below to discuss your needs. I will then contact the Tim 

Tams to see who is available. If one of them is available, I will put them in 

touch with the family needing their service and the details are then worked 

out between the two. 

If you would like more information about the Tim Tams, please feel free to 

contact me. 

Looking for Tim Tams 

Are you aged 16 years or over? Do you like kids? 

Would you be interested in joining our TSA Babysitting Group – the Tim 

Tams? If the answer is yes, or if you know someone who may answer yes, 

then contact me. 

SOMMERFEST 

Susi Richter (Community Youth Coordinator) 

email: susi@templesociety.org.au 

Sommerfest is fast approaching, so we thought we would give you a few 

updates, ask for your help and maybe give you a lift. 

Entry – will be $10 per car and $2 per walker. This entry fee will include a 

show bag and a raffle ticket. 

Activity Band – will be available to purchase from the PA tent for those 

who wish to participate in the majority of activities on offer. Activity bands 

will be $15 per child for the first two children and $10 per child after that. 

Lunch and Afternoon Tea – Lunch will once again be available for 

purchase this year; afternoon tea, please bring your own. We will also have 

the coffee stand available for those who can’t get through the day without a 

decent coffee. 

Volunteers – As this is a community event, we are looking for volunteers 

to assist on the Saturday to set up, on the Sunday, and also to pack up on 

Sunday. We have a variety of tasks, and we are looking for volunteers for PA 

duties, manning a stand or activity, selling raffle tickets, being on the gate, 

face painting or helping in the kitchen or with lunch. 

To volunteer for a certain activity and/or a certain time slot, please contact 

Emma Sonno at sales@ladyzthatlunch.com.au Please note that if we do


not have enough volunteers, some events will not run or, in the worst case, 

Sommerfest will be cancelled. 

Prizes – We are looking for prizes for our raffle and also for the silent 

auction. If you have any prizes to donate, please contact Melissa English at 

melissa.english5@gmail.com 

Stalls – Those who would like to have a stand at Sommerfest, please 

contact Christine Wagner at christinewagner1005@me.com.au to register 

your interest. 

Rosa – Are you interested in catching Rosa from Bentleigh for 

Sommerfest? The bus will leave at 9:15am sharp from Bentleigh and leave 

Bayswater at 2:00pm to return to Bentleigh. The cost would be $5 which 

includes entry. To register your interest, please contact Emma Sonno at 

sales@ladyzthatlunch.com.au 

Check next month’s TR for more information on activities and perhaps a 

sneak peek at some of the prizes. 

Second-hand Book Sale 

Emma Sonno, on behalf of the Sommerfest Committee 

Donations of second-hand books (English and German), games and DVDs 

are being sought for the Sommerfest second-hand book sale. These can be 

left at Tony and Renate’s home. 

BENTLEIGH NEWS 

Renate Beilharz 

Helmut Eppinger waters the Bentleigh tennis courts for the first time with 

water pumped from the new water tank (see next page). The 22,000 litre 

tank is full and the water flow was excellent. It was pleasing to complete the 

project. 

A friendly reminder: the Bentleigh Working Bee is on Saturday 24 th 

March, commencing at 9:00am. Morning tea and lunch provided. 

Please contact Peter Ware or Paul Weberruss for further information.


Tank water is now used on the Bentleigh tennis courts Photo P. Ware 

SUMMER WALK – Saturday 25 th February 

Arthurs Seat State Park 

Time: 10:30am 

Distance: Estimated about 11-14km 

Melways Map: 171 D1 

How to get there: From Melbourne follow the Mornington Peninsula 

Freeway to the Arthur’s Seat turn-off and head up the winding mountain 

road. At the top turn right into Purves Road. A short distance from the 

corner, turn right into the Seawinds Gardens and park there. 

Walk: As it’s summer, I thought that a walk with wonderful beach and bay 

views might be just the thing. If it’s hot, we could bring our bathers for a 

cooling and refreshing swim in the bay at Dromana at the end of the walk. 

We will be joining up a number of short, designated walks in the Arthurs 

Seat State Park. We’ll begin with the Arthurs Seat Circuit (1.8km), which 

includes the Matthew Flinders Cairn, the Seawinds Gardens, William 

Ricketts sculptures, the Indigenous Garden and all the major lookouts. We’ll 

then head down to the McKellar Circuit Walk (1km) and continue down to 

the Waterfall Gully and the Kings Falls Circuit Walk (also 1km). We’ll be 

walking along the Two Bays Walking Track to join up these circuits, which all 

up should be about 7km. Upon returning, we’ll certainly enjoy our well 

earned afternoon tea.


Please let me know by phone if you intend to join us for this walk or send an 

email to murray58@optusnet.com.au On the Saturday I will be available on 

my mobile. 

FRAUENVEREIN BENTLEIGH 

Trudi Murray 

The FV will resume its monthly meetings on Tuesday 14 th February at 

12:00 noon. Everyone is warmly invited. Newcomers are always welcome. 

Please BYO lunch – tea and coffee is provided. To start the new year, Helga 

Jürgensen will give a presentation on her recent travels in Europe. The bus 

will depart the TTHA (Sunroom end) at 11:10am. 

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 

This year the World Day of Prayer for the Bentleigh area is hosted by 

the Salvation Army Bentleigh Community Church 87 Roberts Street 

Bentleigh on Friday 2 nd March at 10:30am. The service with the theme 

'Let justice prevail' has been prepared by the WDP Committee Malaysia. 

Everyone is invited and most welcome to attend this service. 

TR SUPPLEMENT 

FOSTER CARERS URGENTLY NEEDED 

Do you live in the Knox area? Could you open your home and your heart 

to a child in need? 

At Anchor Foster Care we provide home‐based care for children and 

young people aged 0 – 18 years who are unable to live at home. 

Presently we have more children needing care than foster families who 

are able to look after them. 

Our carers receive full‐time support, training and financial assistance. 

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, please phone Anchor 

Foster Care on 9801 1999 or email janet.halsall@anchor.org.au 

This Selection of Heritage Pages, compiled by Horst Blaich, can be 

requested from the Office. Because of the work for TS150 last year, this 

project was delayed, but is now available. Thank you to Horst and the 

Heritage Group for their good work. There will also be some at the halls. 

Ed.


LUDWIG ‘FRITZ’ PFEIFFER 

THE HERITAGE PAGES 

From Ludwig Pfeiffer, Stories from his Life 

by Mrs Ida Hansis née Pfeiffer (†1990) 

Ludwig ‘Fritz’ Pfeiffer as a musician 

was he told that his name was 

Ludwig, not Fritz. On 5 May 1904 

he married Maria Wagner in 

Haifa. He took over his father’s 

bakery in Alexandria. 

Ludwig Pfeiffer, called Fritz or Onkel 

Fritz, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, 

on 15 March 1879. His father ran a 

bakery there. He wasn’t sure 

whether to name his son Fritz or 

Ludwig, but eventually chose 

Ludwig. His mother called her son 

‘Fritzle’ anyway, and that stuck. As a 

child, Ludwig thought his proper 

name was Fritz. Not until he 

received his call-up notice for the 

German Imperial Navy (the Pfeiffers 

had remained German nationals) 

After WW I internment, he moved 

with his wife and children to the 

Wagner grandparents in Haifa. In 

1939, at the beginning of WW II, 

the Templers and other Germans 

were interned once again. The 

Pfeiffer family was taken to the 

Betlehem German settlement, 

which had been transformed into 

an internment camp surrounded Ludwig ‘Fritz’ Pfeiffer and his motorbike

y barbed wire. 


Ludwig had taken his motorbike, a Triumph ‘past its triumphs’, with its 

homemade sidecar, along with him to the camp. The children had lots of fun 

riding up and down the camp road with Onkel Fritz. Most times up to eight 

children sat in it or on it, somehow. In nine years of captivity, he always 

managed to get petrol, somehow. Not until they had to leave Betlehem in 

1948 was the Triumph finally ‘past its triumphs’. 

If you look closely, Ludwig ‘Fritz’ Pfeiffer had three vocations. He was a 

baker, a piano tuner and a beekeeper. This, however, had not made him rich. 

The poor Pfeiffers, however, were rich in other ways, for they offered passing 

Germans an open, hospitable house. Many people frequented their house. 

Journeymen, even tramps and real down-and-outs found refuge there. 

Father Pfeiffer tried to help everyone, no matter who it was. But they had to 

work, help with something or other, such as splitting firewood for the baking 

ovens. He even paid the return fare to Germany for some. 

A Deutschländerin [German newcomer in Palestine] employed as home help 

in an English household, regularly came to the Pfeiffers on her day off. It 

didn’t take long before up to 15 young people met at the Pfeiffers for coffee 

and yeast cake. Onkel Fritz and Tante Maria had an open ear for all kinds of 

big and small problems. Ludwig Pfeiffer taught them to play the zither and 

the guitar. Some found their life partners in the Pfeiffer house, and when 

offspring arrived after the wedding, the Pfeiffers became vice-grandparents. 

For breakfast, the Pfeiffer children had to turn up spic and span. Mutterle 

read from a tear-off calendar. Father then sat down at the piano for everyone 

to sing songs together. 

Especially the Sundays remained 

unforgettable for Mrs Hansis, as she 

writes in her book, such as when the 

Pfeiffer family hiked up to Mt Carmel 

before dawn to watch the sun ‘get out 

of bed’. 

In 1948 the Jews raided first the 

internment camp of Waldheim, then 

that of Betlehem. When the German 

internees of Betlehem heard of the 

shootings in Waldheim, they fled 

with bag and baggage to Nazareth, 

Pfeiffer’s Triumph with homemade sidecar 

which was an Arabic city then. 

Ludwig Pfeiffer stayed behind. When 

the Jews entered the camp, a young Israeli attacked Ludwig with a big knife.


Some of the other Jews were able to hold him back. ‘Leave the old man 

alone,’ shouted one of them. The intruders found the guitar on the wall to 

their liking, and father Pfeiffer had to play German folksongs for the Jews. 

Next day, he and other stragglers were liberated by the British and taken to a 

ship in Haifa. The were not safe until the Germans, mostly Templers, were 

accommodated in a large tent camp near Famagusta, Cyprus. Six months 

later, most of them decided to migrate to Australia. Ludwig Pfeiffer chose to 

go to Germany instead, where he arrived in October 1948 in a Lüneburger 

Heide refugee camp. Tr.P.H. 

DOZENS OF LANGUAGES EXTINCT 

Israel helps Aborigines by Ulrich W. Sahm 

Australian Aborigines at a corroboree 

The Aborigines once spoke 250 languages, now they are down to just six. To 

revive some of them, one researcher counts on help from Israel. Israel, after 

all, is experienced in reviving ancient languages. 

Israel wants to help the original inhabitants of Australia, the Aborigines, to 

revive their extinct languages. To do so they rely on the experience of the 

Jews in recreating their Hebrew language that had been ‘dead’ for 2000 

years. 

Supported and financed by Jewish communities in Australia, Jackie Troy, a 

linguist and researcher at Sydney University and herself an Aborigine, was


invited to Israel to meet with other linguists and researchers. This initiative 

was provided by Gilad Zuckermann who, apart from Hebrew and Italian, 

commands an additional eleven languages, including Chinese and Japanese. 

‘The Australian Aborigines had about 250 languages, of which only about six 

can be considered alive, i.e. spoken by people of all age groups,’ says 

Zuckermann, ‘not being written languages, they are difficult to reconstruct.’ 

He contends that it was above all the missionaries who were responsible for 

the ‘death’ of the aboriginal languages. The Aborigines were to be turned first 

into Christians and then into citizens of the English-speaking British colony 

of Australia. To achieve this, the missionaries had the Bible translated into 

the languages of the Aborigines. Although their goal was to take away the 

Aborigines’ language, they thus documented some of the now extinct 

languages and preserved them for posterity. 

‘Along with their language, the Aborigines also lost their identity when they 

adopted the English language,’ said Troy on Israel Radio, ‘that’s why it is so 

important to give them back their old languages. In Israel, I want to find out 

how the Jews managed to transform their Hebrew – long used only as sacral 

language in divine services – back into a living language, in which an entire 

society can feel at home and dream, sing, think and feel.’ Troy herself is an 

Aborigine, but has Jewish roots at the same time. 

The Bible served as the Basis 

Towards the end of the 19 th century, Hebrew was revived by Belarus-born 

lexicographer Eliezer Ben Jehuda (1858-1921). The language of the Bible and 

early Hebrew grammar served him as a basis. Many words had to be newly 

invented or readapted. Take the verb ‘to telephone’. Hebrew has many words 

consisting of four consonants. For ‘I telephoned’, one says in Hebrew today 

‘tilpanti’. This is how the consonants TLFN are processed in Modern 

Hebrew, whereby the F becomes a P. 

The question which language was to be spoken in the future Jewish state, 

today’s Israel, was controversial up into the 1920s. In the early 20 th century, 

scientists emigrating from Germany actually preferred German as 

Kultursprache, while they rejected the not yet properly functioning, 

‘artificially’ revived Hebrew. In 1922 Hebrew, along with English and Arabic, 

was recognised by the British as an official language of Mandated Palestine. 

Even though today every child in Israel can read and understand the Bible, 

as well as the 2000-year-old ‘Qumran Rolls’ found near the Dead Sea, 

Hebrew kept on developing naturally, absorbing Anglicisms and Arabic 

elements on its way. The Academy for Hebrew Language constantly 

endeavours to give modern meaning to early Hebrew or biblical words. A


case in point is the @ of email addresses, first called at as in English, or 

Strudel as in Viennese, until the Academy determined that kruchit was to be 

made the standard word. ‘It has the root K-R-CH and means ‘wrapped up’. 

And just as the Strudel is wrapped up in ‘puff pastry’, we have – thanks to 

the biblical root – been able to invent a word for the tiny little package of @,’ 

said a speaker at the Academy. 

‘The extensive experience of the Israelis with reviving biblical Hebrew to a 

modern “mother tongue” may also help the Australian Aborigines to 

rediscover their lost identity,’ mused Jackie Troy when she visited Israel. 

The House in Nazareth which contains the ceiling paintings on next page 

Tr. P.H. (slightly condensed)


Oriental artist’s impression of Haifa (possibly late 19 th century) 

Stylised ceiling paintings of Haifa, discovered in a Nazareth house (pictured previous page) 

Heritage Pages edited by Peter Hornung


COMMUNITY LAWNMOWING ROSTERS 

FEBRUARY 

BAYSWATER BENTLEIGH 

5 th February 

19 th February 

11 th March 

Herbert Schnerring 

Heinz Vollmer 

Andy Walch 

Manfred Weller 

Hans Wennagel 

Erich Waechter 

Keys to lawn mowers etc. can be 

collected from Tony. 

If working on Sunday, try to avoid 

starting machinery before 10:00am to 

comply with Noise Restrictions in the 

City of Knox. 

Tony Beilharz 

To arrange an alternate date or a 

swap, please contact your partner 

and/or the appropriate member and 

arrange the swap directly. 

4 th February John Maddock 

12 th March 

Heinz Edelmaier 

Ralph Edelmaier 

Normal start time is 9:00am. Both 

lawn mowers can be operated 

without a catcher (the preferred 

method). If the grass is too long, 

then one of the mowers can have a 

catcher installed. 

Lawnmowing should include the 

Secret Garden area (at back of 

Office). Please don’t put lawn 

clippings in Secret Garden area 

(green waste bin is now available 

for lawn clippings). 

Peter Ware 

Paul Weberruss 

KIDS AT SUMMER CAMP – January 2012 (see report on page 20)

1 Wed 

2 Thur 


FEBRUARY 2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

3 Fri Telelink 14:00 RC Be 19:30 

4 Sat 

5 SUN Service TTHA 10:30; Service Sy 10:30; All Youth Beach Day Sandringham 

6 Mon 

7 Tue 

8 Wed � 

9 Thur Playgroup, Babies and Toddlers start 9:30 

10 Fri 

11 Sat 

12 SUN 

13 Mon 

Service Tanunda 14:00; Service Ba + SS 15:15 + Community Afternoon + 

Elders’ Meeting 

14 Tue Ladies’ afternoon Be 12:00 

15 Wed 

16 Thur Playgroup, Babies and Toddlers 9:30 

17 Fri Telelink 14:00 

18 Sat Craft Be 13:00 

19 SUN CV Service Phillip Island 12:00 

20 Mon 

21 Tue 

22 Wed � 

23 Thur Playgroup, Babies and Toddlers 9:30 

24 Fri TG Friday Night Folly Ba 

25 Sat Summer Walk 10:30 

26 SUN Thanksgiving & Presentation Service + SS Be 10:15 

27 Mon 

28 Tue 

29 Wed 

March 2012 

4 SUN Thanksgiving & Presentation Service Sy 10:30; Knox Festival 

New Moon � Full Moon �

February - temple society australia

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?