Page 7 - Issue 5
P. 7
Happy Birthday Kinneret Courtyard
th
This year sees the 100 anniversary of the Kinneret Courtyard. It was established next to the Moshava
Kinneret in 1908. The Agricultural Training Courtyard served as an agricultural and social laboratory
during the period of the Second Aliya and it was here where the first buds of social experimentation
developed; with ideas like the Kvutza (the intimate group - the first being Degania), the Kibbutz (the big
group - the first being Ein Harod), the Moshav (a communal settlement - the first being Nahalal).
There was also a feminist revolution that took place in the
Courtyard - the women's training farm known as Chavat
Ha'alumot and the beginnings of the agricultural schools in Eretz
Israel.
Kinneret Courtyard was also a hothouse for burgeoning
organizations, including the Hagana (Hebrew Defense
Organization), the Mashbir Hamerkazi (Cooperative Wholesale
Association for agricultural goods), the Farm Workers'
Association and the Female Laborers' Committee (the early
women's organizations).
It was only natural for the leaders of that period to live and work in the Kinneret Courtyard. They
included A.D. Gordon, Berl Katzenelson, Ben Zion Yisraeli, Zalman Shazar, Yosef Bussel, Shmuel Dayan,
Yitzhak Tabenkin, Levi Eshkol and Rachel, the poetess.
As part of the centenary celebrations, Habonim Dror has been invited to participate in a cultural evening
in the courtyard at the beginning of April. There will be an exhibition of art, photography and plastic
arts created by members of Israeli kvutsot on the theme of the chalutzim, followed by an evening of
drama, poem and song.
It is imperative that the building of a new society in Israel encompasses a rich cultural life, a life which
encourages and embraces creativity as an expression of who we are. It has been said that culture is "the
way of life for an entire society".
To mark this occasion, here is a poem from Rachel the poetess:
To My Land יִצְראַ לֶא
I have not sung to you, my land , יִצְראַ , ְ ךָל יִתְּרַשׁ אֹל
Nor have I glorified your name ְ ךֵמְשׁ יִתְּראֵַפּ אֹלְו
Through deeds of heroism, , הָרוּבְגּ תוֹלי ִלֲעַבּ
With the spoils of war: ; תוֹבָרְק לַלְשִׁבּ
Only a tree ... have my hands planted וּע ְטָנ יַדָי – ץֵע קַר
Along the quiet shores of the Jordan. . םי ִטְקוֹשׁ ןֵדְּרַי יֵפוֹח
Only a path .. have my feet conquered (trodden) יַלְגַר וּשׁ ְבָכּ – לי ִבְשׁ קַר
Over the surface of the fields. . תוֹד ָשׂ יֵנְפּ לַע
Indeed, it is very meager – דֹא ְמ הָלַּדּ ןֵכאָ
I know this, mother, , םֵא , ָ ה תאֹז יִתְּעַדָי
Indeed it is very meager ... דֹא ְמ הָלַּדּ ןֵכאָ
ְ ךֵתִּבּ תַחְנ ִמ
;
The offering of your daughter; ליִגּ ַה תַעוּר ְתּ לוֹק קַר
Only the sound of the shout of joy , רוֹא ָה הַּגִּי םוֹי ְבּ
On the day that the light shines, םי ִרָתְּסִמַּבּ יִכְבּ קַר
Only crying in secret . ְ ךֵיְנָע יֵלֲע
For your suffering
1926, Tel Aviv " ו פרת , ביבא - לת
