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It's over for Hakoah Club
ONE of Sydney's best-known Jewish institutions, the Hakoah Club in Bondi, has been sold to the Toga Group for $19 million following members' overwhelming support at a heated and emotional meeting last night.
Late yesterday Toga Group increased its bid from $18 million to $19 million, apparently to stave off a challenge from a rival developer, St Hillers, which had bid $19.5 million. The vote, which required a two-thirds majority of members, was carried by 619 in favour and 68 against.
Almost 1000 members attended the meeting, chaired by the former club president Frank Lowy, who described it as a "very sad day".
The club's president, Phil Filler, said revenue had dropped from $14 million a year to $5 million over the past 10 years. "In my heart it's a sad day but nevertheless vindicates that we're doing the right thing," he said.
The club was founded in 1939 by Jewish migrants. Membership had fallen and it was in debt.
The Toga Group expects to use the site for a Medina hotel.
Almost 1000 members attended the meeting, chaired by the former club president Frank Lowy, who described it as a "very sad day".
The club's president, Phil Filler, said revenue had dropped from $14 million a year to $5 million over the past 10 years. "In my heart it's a sad day but nevertheless vindicates that we're doing the right thing," he said.
The club was founded in 1939 by Jewish migrants. Membership had fallen and it was in debt.
The Toga Group expects to use the site for a Medina hotel.
Bagelblogger: A few people might not like what I've got to say. I visited the Hakoah Club last year on a trip to Sydney, despite all that I had heard, and read via the Hakoah website, it was a bitter disappointment.
Instead of being a 'vital celebration' of Jewishness and a resource for the community it looked like any other similar RSL club in Sydney. There was a distinct lack of activity apart from beers being served over the bar and the drone of Pokies, a long ago dated feel to the club and most disconcerting was a lack of Jewishness to its feel.
It was really quite sad.
The current management feels justified in its path of selling the club due to a drop in turn over in the last decade. One imagines the original founders would have been less concerned about turn over and more concerned about actual service delivery.
The lack of turn over in my view is reflective of membership voting with its feet.
The one thing I will say is I had serious concerns about the security of the Club and its location which I will not detail here, a change to a better location hopefully will solve this.
Hopefully any change to a new location will include a heart transplant..
Read More:
Club History
Instead of being a 'vital celebration' of Jewishness and a resource for the community it looked like any other similar RSL club in Sydney. There was a distinct lack of activity apart from beers being served over the bar and the drone of Pokies, a long ago dated feel to the club and most disconcerting was a lack of Jewishness to its feel.
It was really quite sad.
The current management feels justified in its path of selling the club due to a drop in turn over in the last decade. One imagines the original founders would have been less concerned about turn over and more concerned about actual service delivery.
The lack of turn over in my view is reflective of membership voting with its feet.
The one thing I will say is I had serious concerns about the security of the Club and its location which I will not detail here, a change to a better location hopefully will solve this.
Hopefully any change to a new location will include a heart transplant..
Read More:
Club History
References:
SMH: It's over for Hakoah Club - Dan Goldberg
SMH: It's over for Hakoah Club - Dan Goldberg
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2 Comments:
Hakoah Club was always bereft of Jewishness - apart from the Jews who frequented it. Probably 99.9% of the members were/are not religious in any way and just wanted their own RSL type club with pokies etc.
There were always people trying to open a Kosher restaurant at that venue and, despite having restaurants on and off over the years, there was never a real desire by the actual members for one.
Just like many of our communal "institutions" it was never a Jewish club but a club for Jews.
mmm I'd be the first to admit I may have had unrealistic expectations.
Thanks for you thoughts AE helps me place my prior expectations in perspective.
Mr Bagel
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