Kibbutz life – #002 – What is Kibbutz?

So what exactly is this Kibbutz?

A simple explanation would be, a community of people living together, sharing what they have, living as equal as humanly possible. A general meeting makes all the decisions and each member of the community has an equal vote on any issue.

“To each what they need, from each, what they can” was the main theme in this way of life.

Did it actually work?

I guess that depends on your outlook and definition of this way of life. But first let me tell the story and then you can decide for yourself.

My parents, who were founders of our Kibbutz, brought me from England at the age of 5. I had no say in the matter except “Mommy…. Daddy…. I want a cookie”. What I got for my efforts was a whole new way of life. We landed at a temporary place in the center of the country and stayed there while the first group went up North to create what was later to become my home for the rest of my life. Mothers with children stayed behind. We were just two kids of my age. We were taken daily to the local kids school by horse and cart. One day The horses got scared of something, panicked and I fell on my head on the ground, which might explain a lot to those who know me   

Another day I was sitting on a mule with my 5 year old friend when a wasp stung the mule and I….yes….fell on the ground, head first……  It was getting to be a painful habit.

Meanwhile the first huts were being built so we could all join the initial group up North.

On a wintery day, we drove up in an old truck to our new home. I don’t remember much except that I found myself knee deep in mud and they had to pull me out of my gumboots, to “dry land”. My gumboots stayed behind.

As we were just two kids they got some 20 more kids from broken homes and such, to make up a group we could grow up in. At the peak we were 22 or so and that was a big group!

We lived in a communal hut with a couple of grownups to take care of us. Our parents had their home but we only visited them between 16:00-20:00. We didn’t grow up with our parents. They took turns sleeping in our communal hut, to see that we were ok. We were. I’m not sure they were though. The idea was that the community is important, more than the family. We children belonged to the whole community and just happened to have two biological parents for 4 hours a day.

Saturday was the family day. Spending the whole day with our parents was something to look forward to.

Every Friday we used to get a little bag with 7 sweets in it. One for each day of the coming week. Some years later it went up to 14 and 21 and then it was just a bag-full, it was too much to count. We weren’t bored even though there were no toys around, computers were unheard of and haven’t yet been  invented. I don’t think Bill Gates was born yet.

We had a rest period every day between 2pm and 4pm and we had to sleep! Those who didn’t were punished by having to sleep for two hours on Saturday at the expense of being with the parents. Oh, I mentioned most of the kids were from broken homes. They were adopted by kibbutz members and were as much family as possible under the circumstances.

….. to be continued ……

Kibbutz life – #001 – A background

“Children of the dream” was a book written (by Bruno Battleheim) about growing up in a communal village in Israel, called a “Kibbutz”.

I’m the first kibbutz child in my village and have lived through all the stages of this special way of life: Childhood, adolesance, growing up, creating a family, children and grandchildren. The story of the Kibbutz way of life is parallel to my own. I conceder the kibbutz history, my own biography. I would like to pour it out in letters, words and sentances in this blog.  

So, first, what is a Kibbutz?  The word itself is derived from the root “to gather” and is a gathering of people who see things close enough to be able to live with each other…..;)

Kibbutz is a unique way of life found in Israel. The initial idea came about as people who survived the holocaust in Europe,  fled to what-is-now Israel. They started the state of Israel as a home for the Jewish people with the determination that the massacre in Europe would never happen again. The new-born state was invaded by 5 arab neighboring countries. The war of independance was won in 1948 and the state of Israel has been a fact ever since.

The long borders an the very few settlements made it a hugh problem gaurding the state. People were organized in groups, before they ever got to the land and were sent to newly created settlements along the long borders of the country. The idea was twofold: Settling the land and gaurding the long borders. The concept of these settlements, named “Kibbutz” was a greater success than anyone had visioned. They grew and developed into self sustained, profitable and well integrated sociaties that exist till this very day.

  …. to be continued……

Hello world!

The Hupo has landed!

I will be nesting here just as a migrating bird nests on it’s way North or South according to seasons…. seasons of my life  

After 3 posts I think the nesting period will be extended with no limits

Good day