Page 4 - Iton 4

Vision for the new Kibbutz Movement… I see a great future for it. For now, it is the best
solution for everything. The idea of a new kibbutz movement is fantastic. It is not the easiest
thing to create, but we must strive towards its realisation. You can lead chanichim, do what you
like and have a great social life.

Tafkid in the movement: I am part of the va’ad that is taking responsibility for new Olim and I
am going to be the new shnat madricha for the Austarlians, New Zealanders and South Africans.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot

th
One of the innovations of Lurianic Kabbalah, centred in 16 Century Tzfat, was the
creation of a variety of rituals which took place late at night. Joseph Caro (the
famous authority on halakha), is credited with the creation of the all-night study
session on the eve of Shavuot, called Tikkun Leil Shavuot. The first tikkun actually
took place in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1533. The participants were Joseph Caro
himself, his close friend Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, author of the liturgical poem "Lekha

Dodi," and their colleagues. A little known fact is that the development of the Tikkun
Leil Shavuot goes hand in hand with the
arrival of coffee to the Land of Israel via
the trade routes. Coffee arrived in Tzfat in
1528, and the first coffee house appeared in
Tzfat in 1580. The use of coffee as a
stimulant encouraged the mystics of Tzfat to
focus more on all-night and late-night rituals
because they couldn't sleep anyway. Karo's
Tikkun Leil Shavuot appeared two or three
years after the introduction of coffee to
Tzfat.

The tnuat bogrim of Habonim Dror hold their
own Tikkun Leil Shavuot every year, this year
hosted by Kvutsat Ogen in Hadera. The
theme was an exploration of the dividing line
between exploitation and redemption. We
examined a few topics through this prism:
Boaz’s behaviour towards Ruth in Megillat
Ruth, the chalutzim and their approach to
gender equality, the chalutzim and their approach to the Arabs and finally the

political leadership of Israel today (Olmert, Peretz, Peres, Halutz, Gaydamak) and
their approach to the Israeli public. It was a very thought provoking night,
interspersed with a couple of fancy cheesecakes (thanks to Robin & Ari), an
extremely difficult music quiz with a Shavuot theme - every song had the word ‘Milk’
in it (thanks Anton), and a sing song which included such Shavuot favourites as
Dancing in the Moonlight and a Lionel Richie classic!