Our First Days Together

What a roller coaster ride…. On Thursday, we went to the Garin Tzabar welcoming ceremony at Tel Aviv University. It was great to meet all the kids together and to celebrate with them their aliya. The ceremony was nice though they were too fair in letting everyone who wanted to feel important speak so it lasted for a bit long. Afterwards the kids got their first introduction to Israel – hurry up and wait… They were rushed out of the hall to take a group photo and then spent one half hour waiting for the photographer to take three shots… Too bad they are not paid by the hour.


Believe it or not, it's almost two weeks later and maybe I'll finish writing the blog today… The kids came to the kibbutz after the ceremony in Tel Aviv and were dead tired but after they saw the welcoming that the kibbutz prepared for them, they came alive again. They were met by most of the kibbutz with music and fanfare. A few short welcoming speeches were followed by the kids singing a song for them and the kindergartners doing a dance. Afterwards there were games and a festive dinner for all. Everyone forgot how tired they were.


On Friday after Shacharit there was a special breakfast followed by the beginning of orientation. We then went for a short walk to become familiarized with the various kibbutz service branches (laundry, store, library, dining hall, etc.). We had our first meal (Friday lunch) in the dining hall which has not changed for the last 50 years. This was the first time of many more to come. The afternoon was free time and visitors came to meet the new immigrants. We had a Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat candles were lit, and we all went to the kibbutz Shul. Following the T'filla, we had Shabbat dinner for all the members of the garin and with the staff and their families. It was great!!! The next morning T'filla at 8:30 AM and then a Kiddush for the garin. Shabbat lunch here is early (11:30 AM!!!) and we all ate in the dining hall. It was pretty hot (over 100 degrees) so only the foolish and brave went for a walk to the refet (cow shed) and the small animals area. The afternoon was spent getting a well deserved Shabbat nap followed by Se'udat Shilishit. We had a very touching Havdalla and then Motzei Shabbat the kids had a "poyke" gathering with the kibbutz kids. "Poyke" is a slow cooking pot used for making different types of stews over an open fire. They are very popular with the younger generation in Israel since the preparation and cooking time encourages social interaction by those involved. (My son's nickname is "poyke"- guess why….). It went very well and both sectors (Garin Tzabar and kibbutznikim) blended together very well. The first few days were a great success.

Here They Come

Today we begin to meet the first Garin members whom are arriving. We're lucky that we're close to the airport so that we can go there and back in half an hour. Three trips today. Tomorrow morning we'll be meeting the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight with another seven members aboard. Yesterday there was a big write up in the paper Yediot Achronot about Garin Tzabar which included pictures of four members of the Beerot Yitzchak Garin (including someone else who just joined us – we're now 19 in number). Our pride is beginning to spill over.

Before Shabbat, we hung up a big poster with pictures of all the members, their names, their native city, and age. It was a hit especially with their counterparts age-wise on the kibbutz… We're beginning to plan their first days here down to the smallest details. No matter how much we try to make sure that everything is planned out, we're bound to forget something or the reality will differ from our expectations.


Just to prove my point, I am continuing my writing two days later!! On Monday, I picked up Dina, Zehava, and Ari. On Tuesday, Vered (the kibbutz boss), Suri (Garin Tzabar staff), Dorian (Garin Tzabar staff), Dina, Zehava, and I went to meet the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight. It was very emotional and I found myself wiping tears from time to time. Ale, Zvi, Eithan, Galya, Ezra, Cara, Kendall, and Lisa were on the flight. The garin made big news. Ezra was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post, Cara and Lisa by the channel 2 news, Kendall by the Rafi Reshef show, Galya by the Israeli broadcasting authority news, and Tzvi by some other paper. How proud we feel knowing that these highly motivated and devoted individuals are coming to Beerot Yitzchak.


Tomorrow is the big day. The entire staff will be there in Tel Aviv and we'll get there early to spend some time with the kids.. Afterwards to the Kibbutz (about an hour drive) for a short welcoming ceremony and dinner for all. Friday will be orientation and then, thank G-d for Shabbat. 


Got to go to sleep at a decent hour for a change. Need my sleep for the next couple of days….

Just Around The Corner

It's been more than a week since my last blog writing and I could suggest a lot of reasons why it's been so long but what does it actually matter?? What's important is that I'm back at the keyboard. I just got back from D.C. a week ago (it seems to be a lot longer) where I had my laptop ripped off in the middle of the Pentagon City mall. It was pretty depressing and I was so down that I walked back to my hotel, a two mile walk in over 100 degree weather. The truth of the matter is that it happened at the end of the day and I had finished most of my work. Everything was backed up and it was kinda nice to be "unconnected" for a few days.


Upon my return the whole staff went to visit at three kibbutzim which have Garin Tzabar programs and to see how they handle things by them. It was an eye opener and we got a lot of good tips. We also were able to compare our facilities to others and I think that we're doing okay. On Sunday we hosted here on the kibbutz a seminar for all the Garin Tzabar 2010 staffs in Israel. We met up with the two soldiers whom will be working with us, Dana and Yifah. I am sure that it will be mutually enjoyable experience with them. Leah has left the staff and we have added on Elad Zuntz, a Ben Meshek (Kibbutz born) who just recently was discharged from his service in the armored corps, the Seventh Brigade (where my son Shachar presently serves). I really feel that we have a great staff!!!


We are going into high gear as far as preparations go. We are remodeling the men's quarters and they should be finished by the middle of next week. We will fix up the woman's rooms and maybe even have new curtains made. There will probably be a number of things that we will do only after the Garin's arrival. It's money time and it's hard to believe that it will just be another two weeks. I hope that we can keep the mistakes that we make to a minimum and that they will be reversible.


We are finishing off most of the plans for the arrival and the first week. The first week will probably be the most hectic and confusing since a good part of it will be dealing with beaurocracy. One example is that we will have to go to Beer Sheva to take care of the primary immigration issues even though we are located in the middle of Israel and not in the south. The reason for this is that they have set up a special VIP treatment there for Tzabar members so we will try to add other activities to the bus trip to Beer Sheva to make it more interesting. The truth is that it may turn out to be better in the end.


Well that's it for now. Hopefully I'll be writing again soon. We will send by e-mail and by facebook some info about the first days sometime next week.

Far Far Away

I'm sitting here in Washington DC in more than 100 degree weather for the third straight day. What is really amazing is that this heat wave is in the headlines all over the USA. Wouldn't it be great if in Israel the weather would make the headlines for three straight days…

This will probably be my last overseas trip for the next couple of months since I want to be around until most of the Garin Tzabar members finish their basic training. When I speak with clients and colleagues about my plans and Garin Tzabar they look at me kinda funny. Some think that I'm nuts putting my business and career on hold while others are impressed by my efforts and thoughts. The truth is that most of the Americans I work with don't really understand what I will be doing but accept in. Most of the Israelis are impressed but are not always sure that I'm making the right choice. I have no such doubts….

We are preparing the primary framework for the pre-Army facet of the program and trying to understand what the kids will be going through. They will be coming to new country as citizens and not as tourists or visitors. They will be coming to a new home (the kibbutz) with both expectations and apprehensions. The Israeli bureaucracy will serve as a cold water in the face wake-up call to reality so we will try to make it as "friendly" as possible. We are sure that there will be a lot of ups and downs like a roller coaster so we will try to make this "Tower of Terror" emotional coaster ride more like a Junior Kiddy Land ride. We are making lots of preparations and we also realize that we will have to deal with a lot of things which are not included in our preparations. Both the staff and the Garin members share a common excitement and I hope that this will be able to propel us through he first stages together.

Next week, when I return to Israel, I will step off the plane and begin the run to the magic date of August 5th. As far away this date seemed to be a few months ago it's now just around the corner. It will become reality.

The 17th of Tamuz

We have just finished the 17th of Tamuz fast. The 100 degree weather didn't make it any easier. The most recognized reason for this fast is that the walls of Jerusalem were breached in both the eras of the First and Second Temple, which signaled the start of the siege of Jerusalem which tragically ended in the destruction of both Temples on Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av).  We can find a lot of other significant events that according to Rabbinical sources happened on this same date.  Noah sent out the first dove to find land. Moshe descended from Mt. Sinai with the first set of the Ten Commandants which he broke upon seeing the Golden Calf. King Menashe placed an idol in the Temple. Pope Gregory IX confiscated the Talmud and censured large parts of it.

If we try to find a common thread between all the above events, we can observe an overlying theme of isolation. Noah was isolated on the ark, Moshe was isolated on Mt. Sinai, the siege of Jerusalem isolated its inhabitants, Menashe isolated the Temple from the people, and Pope Gregory isolated the Talmud. Today in Israel we also feel very isolated and it doesn't matter whom we seek to blame, it doesn't matter if it's true or false, the feeling is still there. There is a gate which leads us out from this feeling of isolation and standing there is Garin Tzabar.

The thought of youth making Aliyah from established, stable, and affluent countries to Israel and joining the IDF to defend the Jewish State allows us to feel that we aren't as isolated as we think. They help us to remember why we chose to live hear, to raise our families, and to build a homeland for all Jews around the world. We are approaching different sources to seek help in providing different facilities and things for the Garin. The outpouring of praise and empathy is incredible. The feeling of unity, which is often sparse in Israel, centers around Garin Tzabar.

In the Mishna, Taanit 4:8, the 17th of Tamuz is associated with the Messianic prophecy of Zechariya and is destined to be a day of joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts.

The Kibbutznik

Since the first settlers of the kibbutz shared many values and ideals, they were often alike. In the following years they maybe less similar and certain anthropologic groups were formed. In general, one can differ the kibbutzniks by their heritage or their livelihood.


The first settlers of the kibbutz were very proud of themselves (they deserve to be) and they felt that it was imperative to differ themselves pertinent to the time of the arrival. Therefore, there were "founders", "first comers", "builders", and "elders" of the kibbutz. There was even one member who arrived with the very first group of settlers and she was the only one who stayed on, so she was honored with the unique standing of "first of the founders". Next on are the Bnei Meshek, "Sons of the kibbutz". This is usually someone born on the kibbutz but sometimes someone whom arrived at the kibbutz at a pre-school age is allowed to share this title. The Bnei Meshek usually enjoy a favorable advantage due to their "blue blood" standing but there is also a downfall. Even at the age of fifty, many still remember something foolish that this same Ben Meshek did at the age of seven and often will say "how can we give him this task?? You don't remember what he did in second grade??"


Next in line are former members of a "Garin Nachal", former youth group members who joined a "pioneering" group who went through the army together and were destined to settle on a kibbutz. Usually no more than 10% of the garin members stayed on their designated kibbutz and even then, this was often a result of marrying a "Ben Meshek". Their have been no Nachal garins for over ten years. This void has been filled by graduates of the kibbutz ulpan (Hebrew language training program) and more recently, by couples and families who have relocated from an urban setting to the kibbutz.


Concerning employment, there are three basic groups: members whom work in commercial enterprises on the kibbutz (both agricultural and industrial), members in the local service sector, and members whom work outside of the kibbutz. The agricultural workers can be split into two secondary groups, field crops and livestock. The field crop workers will usually wear torn and faded clothing with oil and mud stains and their heads are adorned with all types of hats. The are also sunburned all year around. Those whom work in the chicken coops always shower when they leave the coops but they still smell of chickens. This is nothing compared to the cow shed workers whom can be smelled much before they can be seen. It seems that sometimes the stench is visible to the naked eye.


Those whom work in the industrial sector are usually well dressed. When you sit at a meal with the agricultural workers, you can always discuss their work since everyone understands but with the industrial people, you can never join a conversation with them. If you try, you are often looked at with the expression "what do you understand??".


There are many varied jobs in the service sector; laundry, kitchen, dining hall, bookkeeping, child care, etc. No matter where they work, they are always bustling around and often seem to be behind schedule. Many times, they will sit and talk and then suddenly look at their watch and break into a quick trot. The members whom work outside the kibbutz leave early in the morning and come home in the late afternoon. It's not unexceptional to see some of your best friends only on weekends. They seem to be like the loch ness monster, there are a lot of reported sightings and very few confirmed.


Despite all these differences, they all are able to join together and make the kibbutz a home for everyone.

Beerot Yitzchak

Beerot Yitzchak was founded by Religious pioneers from Germany and Czechoslovakia in 1936. Since this group was not allocated land for the building of a settlement, they lived in a communal fashion community which was named Ramat Hasharon and located near Pardas Hanna. They worked in the nearby citrus orchards and their salaries were put into a communal account. In 1943, they were allocated land in the western Negev near Gaza and built there the Kibbutz Beerot Yitzchak. Beerot Yitzchak was the first kibbutz in the western Negev and was the starting point for three of the 11 settlements which were formed overnight in 1946. The first settlers confronted arid and uncultivated soils, brackish water, and wary neighbors in Gaza but despite these difficulties, they established a vibrant and stable kibbutz. Following the UN approval of the partition plan in 1947, Beerot Yitzchak became a target for constant sniping and artillery firing.

Following Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948, the attacks became more frequent and intense and it was decided to evacuate all mothers and children leaving only the men and women without children to defend their home. On the 15th of July, 1948 (8 of Tamuz), massive Egyptian forces, infantry, armored, and air, attacked the Kibbutz. The defenders were entrenched in an extensive configuration of trenches and outposts but an Egyptian shell hit the water tower and flooded the trenches making then almost unusable. Despite their inferior numbers and being cut off from each other, the defenders were able to fend off the superior Egyptian forces and even repel some Egyptian troops whom were able to breach the perimeter and to enter into the kibbutz leaving over one hundred bodies behind. The price of this victory was acute, more than half of the defenders were killed or wounded and the kibbutz buildings and infrastructure was destroyed.

The remaining members made a noteworthy decision, which would be the subject of a on-running dispute for many decades, and decided to relocate the kibbutz including the many widows and orphans, to the present location in the Lod plain outside of Tel Aviv. The kibbutz and its members were able to adjust to the new location and continue to thrive in this same place. I could describe for you the different agricultural endeavours, industries, and activities, but you can find them all at this link: http://www.beerot.co.il/GarinTzabar/AbouttheKibutz/tabid/286/Default.aspx . I'd rather focus on our most important resource, the residents.

Not too many members are left from the founders and most are well into their eighties, but two can serve as great examples of our greatest resource. When the first settlers went to establish the Negev location in 1943, they found barren lands with no available resources. Their first task was to dig a well so that they would have the most fundamental of things, water. Only men were supposed to cope with these harsh conditions but one young woman took it upon herself to join these men and try to provide them with the most rudiment means to ease the difficulties. She cooked, did their laundry, and performed other tasks to make their burden as easy as possible. I'm not sure how feminists would view her today but she did her best to do for others while ignoring her own personal inconveniences and hardships.

Another woman was married but without children in 1948 so she stayed with the defenders during the Egyptian army attack. Since all communications with the outposts were lost, she was asked to be a "runner" and discover what was the situation in the various outposts. Without thinking twice she went off, moving through the muddied trenches and never knowing if she would meet friend or foe at every turn. Would she be met with a hug or with a shower of enemy bullets? A few times she had to step over bodies of friends of hers but with an unbelievable amount of courage and determination, she completed the task and played an important part in repelling the enemy. At one point, she reached an outpost where most of the ammunition had been soaked by the water from the damaged water tower. Under fire, she calmly removed her head covering and began to wipe the bullets dry one by one. Today both of these women come to work everyday in the clothing facility and will be more than happy to let out a seam, fix your trousers, or make you new curtains.

These are enormous footsteps to follow in but we try to do our best.