Page 50 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - October 19

and children of the future Kfar Hanassi were a 'yach'. It was fun but I craved something
waiting out the time to join the men in Mansura.
Alec turned up two days later, only then having
received word of my aliyah. Just before Pesach,
Cyril (now Simcha) and I left for Mansura.
Mansura had all the trappings of a real chalutzic
outpost. Close to the Syrian border with only
stones and rocks for miles around, and clearing
them being the order of the day. On the first
morning, I was taken out for rifle practice.
Imagining an Arab in my sights, I promptly threw
up and soon found myself assigned to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, I cooked under the expert eyes of
Esther Cina (Wexler) whose presence midst her
flying pots and pans was something to behold.
Once I nearly blew myself up on one of those
unpredictable primus stoves. We slept in a bell
tent, which didn’t blow down in the wind that had
flattened the other 10, because ours, being so
“holey’, the wind went right through it.
In January, 1950, I was sent to do my stint in
Hadera and worked there in their laundry which
took in clothing from the army, and by Pesach
1950 we were all settling in in Kfar Hanassi and I
was back in the kitchen cooking with Gussie –
another wizard. From there I progressed to the
children’s kitchen and from the kitchen to work
with the children. I found myself in charge of 7
wonderful 2-3 year olds whom I adored and coped
with instinctively as far as their physical well-
being was concerned but hadn't the slightest idea
how to organize their play time. Mainly they were
left to their own devices while I kept the peace.
Later when they advanced to the kindergarten I
went with them and I learnt how children could be
encouraged to develop through play. Meanwhile,
we who had lived in a tent for a year, advanced to
an actual room in a Swedish hut. It was so small,
that for a second person to get in, the first had to
climb onto the bed. In January 1952, we were
rewarded with the BIG room because our first
child had been born. And then I rebelled though it
was nothing to do with our living quarters.
What got to me was sharing a room in the baby
house with another five mothers and all ready for
50
different and I started going to nurse my baby an
hour before the others and had all that time alone
with him. Neither Betty nor Michal who herself
had a child in the same room, ever criticized me
for that show of independence and to this day I
thank them for that.
Despite the fact that I enjoyed my work, I couldn't
accept things as they were and though chaverim
tried to convince us to stay, feeling sure that
within a couple of years all the children would be
sleeping at home, (it took them another 10 to
reach that stage) I fear it wouldn't have sufficed
anyway. We left the kibbutz with many regrets.
Leaving good friends and a part of ourselves
behind (and bless them all for that special get-
th
together on their 50 anniversary) and in October
1953 we left to join a different kind of collective –
Moshav Habonim – a moshav shitufi.
The basic difference was the family unit. To each
family its own home and a living allowance
according to the number and ages of the children.
It had to cover food, clothing, furniture, gas and
electricity. Health, education, tarbuth, etc., was
provided as in a kibbutz. Work for chaverim as in
a kibbutz and for chaverot, a number of hours
according to the number of children. Creche and
kindergarten were from 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
Committees as in kibbutz and I was always active
in one or another of them. Moshav Habonim at
that time was a vibrant community of ex-
mahalnicks mostly from the Habonim Movement
of S. Africa with a sprinkling of Brits and
Americans and the odd Sabra and soon numbered
70 families. We had a good cultural life and tried
hard to live within our means, but 1957-58 came
along and we practically went bankrupt. As a
result of this many chaverim lost hope and left,
though the majority stayed in Israel. We, the
remaining 18 families, fought to stay on and with
the guidance of good madrichim in the various
branches, we pulled through. It was a long hard
haul and a good few years before we were able to
absorb new people. Almost from our arrival, I
worked with children but when we had our fourth
child in 1963, I felt it was time for a change and