Page 25 - Issue 25

Sixties. There is no doubt that this period of our
lives was a significant one and for most of us, it
determined our world outlook and our future path
in life. More chaverim of the movement made
aliyah during this decade than in any other.

It was an incredible and turbulent time of idealism
and ideology mixed with fun and wonderful
experiences in a special atmosphere and
comradeship which did not exist in any other
framework. It created a special and unique bond
which still binds us together after all this time.

Everyone from this decade has their own
memories and recollections and their own
opinions about the major issues at the time. I
would like to highlight only two of what I think
were the major trends in those years.

First of all, there was a feeling that the movement
was all talk and no action and that Aliyah had to
be put back on the agenda. There were many
debates about the definition of “the challenge of
Chalutzic aliyah” The ideological clash between
the Chalutz Chug (what we called the Challies) and
the “Aliyah Chug” (the Allies) led to a new
definition of the highest challenge facing our
members which now included other forms of
collective settlement besides the kibbutz. The
aliyah chug eventually dissipated although a few
members were part of the effort to establish an
urban kibbutz in Carmiel. We even created an
Aliyah Register which senior members were asked
to sign in order to declare their intention to make